


Hybrid Theory

by Elrazhnia



Series: The Theory Trilogy [1]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Breeding, Dubious Consent, F/M, Impregnation, Kid Fic, M/M, Mpreg, Next Generation, Out of Character, Pregnancy, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 04:13:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12809385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elrazhnia/pseuds/Elrazhnia
Summary: When Aizen gets his hands on more prisoners, he decides to perform a little experiment in cross-breeding.Originally posted to AFF, migrating over due to not really using the site anymore.





	1. Captured

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Hybrid Theory
> 
> Fandom: Bleach
> 
> Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Tite Kubo, creator of Bleach. Some credit should also go to fellow writer NovaAlexandria (who does not have an AO3 account but can be found on FF.net and AFF) as the basic premise was inspired by her story Crossbreeding the Future. While there are obvious similarities between my story and hers for that reason, I'm not copying her story exactly, and felt the need to place this disclaimer in case anyone who may have read her story would accuse me of plagiarizing.
> 
> Warnings: Yaoi, non-con, dub-con, pregnancy, mpreg, breeding
> 
> Main Pairings: Renji x Ichigo, Ulquiorra x Orihime
> 
> Side Parings: (contains some spoilers!) Yammy x Rangiku (procreation only), Coyote x Retsu, Barragan x Byakuya (procreation only), Juushirou x Tier (procreation only), Chad x Franceska (procreation only), Hanatarou x Emilou (procreation only), Uryuu x Cyan (procreation only), Nnoitra x Soi Fon (procreation only), Grimmjow x Renji (complicated), Szayel x Nemu (procreation only), Sousuke x Toushirou (procreation only), Gin x Rukia (procreation only), Kaname x Momo (procreation only), Izuru x Yuzu, Toushirou x Karin, Shunsui x Juushirou, Uryuu x Nemu
> 
> Possible Pairings: (I’m debating possibly including these but have yet to decide if I want to or not…) Kenpachi x Byakuya or Kenpachi x Hanatarou, Ikkaku x Yumichika, Grimmjow x Renji x Ichigo (instead of just Renji x Ichigo)
> 
> Original Characters: (more spoilers!) Matsumoto Mitsuru Llargo, Unohana Kenshin Starrk, Unohana Lupe Starrk, Kuchiki Reika Louisenbairn, Kuchiki Dio Louisenbairn, Ukitake Ren Harribel, Sado Angel Mila Rose, Sado Celia Mila Rose, Yamada Marisol Apacci, Ishida Mayumi Sung-Sun, Inoue Miyuki Cifer, Inoue Kou Cifer, Inoue Mana Cifer, Feng Yoru Gilga, Feng Shinobu Gilga, Abarai Akane Jaegerjaquez, Abarai Aoi Jaegerjaquez, Kurotsuchi Aleta Granz, Kurotsuchi Akemi Granz, Hitsugaya Suigetsu, Hitsugaya Kyoka, Kuchiki Kouichi, Kuchiki Kouji, Kuchiki Maiko, Hinamori Norio, Kira Daisuke, Kurosaki Masaki, Kurosaki Mizuki, Hitsugaya Ryuu, Ishida Yuu

**Hybrid Theory**

_Evil Plans for Innocent Souls_  
  
Chapter One: Captured

 

In the back of her mind, Orihime had known from the moment she'd heard Ichigo and the others had come to rescue her that things wouldn't end well at all. She'd clung to a dim hope, but it was fleeting. But she never imagined things would end THIS terribly.

Aizen must have been waiting from the very beginning for the Seireitei to send back up, because the moment it was clear they had, he'd struck. The battles were a blur to her, as were the arrivals of reinforcements and retreat of those who could no longer fight. But not everyone had managed to retreat.

Aizen had gone from one prisoner to fourteen in only a handful of hours. The first to be captured had been Rukia and Chad, both having sustained heavy injuries in their battle against the Espada Nnoitra Gilga and Aaroniero Arruruerie. Orihime had been horrified at the extent of their injuries, worried that they'd actually been killed, but was relieved that Shuno and Ayame had been able to heal them with only the slightest difficulty.

Next had been Uryuu and Renji, captured by Szayel Aporro Granz. Aizen had noted with amusement that if the pink-haired Arrancar had been five minutes slower in his capture, he would have had Mayuri Kurotsuchi to deal with. He didn't doubt the Captain of the Twelfth Division would have found some way around Szayel's special skill and come up with some twisted, "academic" way to slaughter him.

Orihime had been ever more frightened of Szayel than before after seeing what had been done to her two friends. Their outward injuries had been fairly minor, not taking too much effort for her fairies to heal. But the internal damage was devastating, several organs completely destroyed. She frankly found it amazing that they had lasted long enough to be brought to her for healing.

Her own recapture had occurred after Nnoitra had managed to severely injure both Ichigo and Nel. He and Tesra had just left the two there to die, and Orihime had no idea as to whether of not they had managed to retreat or if they truly had... No. She couldn't entertain that thought. Ichigo was too strong to go out like that, and there was no way he would have abandoned Nel there. They had been hurt, but they would live. She had to hold on to that belief...

As she focused her power on healing the two men, she allowed silver-gray eyes to drift to the other prisoners, each bound and sporting varying degrees of injury. They'd somehow managed to separate Nemu from her father and capture her. she seemed indifferent to her plight and Orihime wondered not for the first time if Kurotsuchi had completely skipped over emotions during her creation. Rangiku and Toushirou were both there, which greatly saddened her. She'd hoped they more than any other would have remained out of harm's way. Kuchiki-taichou and Ukitake-taichou had been taken captive as well, both trying to remain calm to ease the minds of the others. Poor little Hanatarou had been taken, and Unohana-taichou had tried to rescue her subordinate, only to be captured herself in the process. Soi Fon seemed uninjured, but was bound more tightly than any of the others. No surprise, as if she were loose her stealth would be a great advantage. Last of all was Momo. She was the one Orihime pitied the most. She still hadn't entirely mentally recovered from Aizen's betrayal, and she could just imagine how much damage this would do to her already fragile psyche.

Each of the prisoners had been outfitted with a bangle of Szayel's creation, severely limiting their spiritual pressure. Orihime had never been the best at sensing spiritual pressure, but even she could feel the once suffocating power of the Captain-level Shinigami had been reduced to close to nothing. It made her wonder momentarily why she hadn't been shackled with something similar, before she realized that it was unnecessary. Her power was only minimilistically influenced by her spiritual pressure. Something like that would not stop her from using it. What stopped her was the threat of what would happen to her friends if she dared...

Orihime finished with the last of the prisoners' injuries before standing and sending a defiant glare to the auburn-haired man who had been observing the room from his throne. She may be in a position where she had no options but to obey him, but as soon as she had her chance, she would erase the very existence of the cursed object that had given him the power he lorded over them so.

"Excellent work, Orihime."Aizen stated as if speaking to one of his obedient subordinates. Orihime clenched her fists at her sides, giving a stiff nod of acknowledgement but nothing to give the illusion that she was obedient.

"What I wanna know is why you even gave the order to take them alive."Grimmjow asked in irritation from where he stood with his arms folded, leaning against the wall. He looked no worse for wear after his battle with Ichigo, thanks again to Orihime's power. It appeared Aizen had not been at all upset with him for sneaking Orihime out to heal the Substitute so that he could fight him, instead rather amused. Orihime expected it would have been a whole other story if the blue-haired Espada's actions had resulted in her rescue. She doubted he'd be standing here at all if that had been the case.

Aizen gave his usual smug grin.

"Because they are no use to me dead, Grimmjow. No, I have a little experiment in mind."

"What sort of experiment, Aizen-sama?"Szayel questioned, eyes brightening at the magic word.

"To build my army, to make it as powerful as possible. I believe this will interest you in an academic sense, Szayel. I'm sure you'll enjoy studying this."

The Lord of Los Noches stood from his throne, approaching where the prisoners were all settled. Orihime was still the only one unbound, still giving him a defiant glare. The others also kept their eyes upon him, different emotions passing across each face. Anger, fear, calm... None of their looks seemed to have any effect on him.

"We have now some of the strongest Shinigami to exist."Hanatarou unconsciously inched closer to Retsu in fear at that. He was far from strong, especially compared to all the Captain and Lieutenant-level Shinigami around him. If he was useless, what would be done with him? Aizen continued his speech, circling slowly around Orihime as he spoke. "As well as some incredibly powerful humans. Humans I am quite certain would easily become Shinigami in their own right upon death, third seat at the very least."

"What good does that do us? They're not on our side."Grimmjow frowned. Aizen chuckled lowly.

"No, perhaps not. But this brings me to my little experiment." he grinned evilly. "Szayel. Don't you believe it would be fascinating... to see just how strong a half-breed child would be?"

The scientist got a positively gleeful look in his eyes at his lord's suggestion.

"It would definitely be something worth studying, Aizen-sama. If that boy Grimmjow is always blathering about is anything to go on, a hybrid child between a human and Shinigami would be quite powerful."

Ichigo? Hybrid? What in the world was he talking about? No one else seemed to notice Orihime's confusion, as Aizen continued.

"Yes, but that's not all I have in mind."the brunette said, reaching out hand to lift a lock of Orihime's burnt sienna hair and letting it slip through his fingers again. "Imagine the power a child would possess... if one parent were an Arrancar."

Orihime drew in a shard, terrified breath at the insinuation, turning silver eyes up to the man in horror as he grinned down at her, but still speaking to Szayel.

"What do you say to that, my dear Espada."

"An intriguing prospect."Szayel murmured with a thoughtful grin. "At present we aren't even sure whether Arrancar are even compatible with humans or Shinigami. After all, who in the past would ever have tried? But if it is possible... I imagine any such child would be a force to be reckoned with."

"My thoughts precisely."Aizen agreed, turning his eyes from his captive to gaze at his collected Espada. None of them were nearly as gleeful as Szayel at the prospect he lay before them, but they were certainly intrigued by the thought of the possibilities.

"So there are no objections."Aizen said smugly.

"There damn well are objections!"Renji snapped, falling out of the stupor the traitor's idea had momentarily put him in. "What makes you think any one of us would agree to that, huh?!"

Aizen chuckled. "But you see, you have no say in the matter. If you do not comply, I will certainly make sure you wish you had."

"You can torture me all you want, I ain't doin' it!"the redhead snapped.

"Whoever said anything about laying a hand on you?"Aizen said serenely. He approached where Rukia was knelt near her brother, lifting her roughly by the front of her shihakusho, the other hand roughly gripping in her dark hair. She gave a tiny cry of pain, and Renji, Byakuya, and Juushirou each moved forward as if to stop him, but were halted by their bindings.

"The beauty of my arrangement as it stands, is that each of you cares for one of the others enough to do anything to keep them from being harmed. This little one alone is all the insurance I need to keep most of you obedient."

He gave another sharp jerk of Rukia's hair, jerking her neck back harshly, before carelessly dropping her back to the floor. Byakuya moved forward concernedly, letting out a sigh of relief to see that his sister was largely unharmed. She would be sore for at least a few hours, her scalp and neck in particular, but there was no serious damage.

"Does anyone else wish to object?"Aizen asked amusedly.

"You have us backed into a corner now,"Orihime said boldly before turning hate-filled eyes to her captor. "But you won't get away with this. Ichigo will make sure you pay."

"You don't even know if your little savior is alive, my dear."

Orihime's chest tightened at those words, but she wouldn't allow them to sink any deeper into her mind. Ichigo was alive. Ichigo would come for her... for all of them. Ichigo wouldn't abandon his friends. Besides, even if the unthinkable had happened, even if he had been killed, that only meant he would be sent to Soul Society. He would become a true Shinigami, not just a substitute. And he would still come for them. But the way things were, the losses the Seireitei had suffered, there was one thing that she had to admit, as much as she didn't want to.

Their rescue would not come swiftly. It would be some time before Soul Society could recover and regroup, especially with so many of their Captains and Lieutenants lost. Most would probably be assumed dead. They quite possibly still misunderstood and thought she was a traitor like Aizen. But sooner or later, they would attack. Aizen was too much a threat to leave alone forever, so even if they assumed they had no one to rescue, there would be an attack sooner or later.

"Ichigo will make sure you pay."she repeated simply before turning her eyes ahead, trying to retain her determined air.

"Well, if there are no more objections."Aizen continued as if Orihime had not spoken. "I believe it is time we get this experiment under way. But which samples to match up? Decisions, decisions..."


	2. Paired

**Hybrid Theory**

_Evil Plans for Innocent Souls_

Chapter Two: Paired

 

"Well, if there are no more objections."Aizen continued as if Orihime had not spoken. "I believe it is time we get this experiment under way. But which samples to match up? Decisions, decisions...

There was a brief silence before Aizen turned to the Cuatro Espada.

"Ulquiorra. You've done so well at looking after our little princess, I see no reason to change things now."

"Yes, Aizen-sama."Ulquiorra said coolly. Orihime cast Aizen another glare, but didn't budge. Aizen chuckled.

"Oh, do you wish to see who shall be caring for your friends before you depart?"

From where he stood in the room, Starrk let out a barely audible sigh. How troublesome... Well, if he had to do this, he may as well take the easy one.

"I'll take that one..."he muttered, gesturing half-heartedly in Nemu's direction.

"I don't think so."Szayel responded immediately. "I'm quite fascinated with that one. It will be rather intriguing to study her."

"So long as you don't damage her too much."Aizen stated. "She must remain healthy for our experiment to have any merit."

"But of course, Aizen-sama."Szayel stated before turning again to Starrk. "Knowing how lazy you are, I'm sure you wanted her because she's docile. Why not take her then?"

Starrk's eyes followed the scientist's gesture to Retsu. She had yet to allow her calm countenance to falter, and even with her reiatsu restrained he could feel her gently pulsing what little of it she could in a comforting manner, trying to soothe her subordinate still clinging close at her side. Not as docile as the one Szayel had taken, but he doubted she'd be much of a problem either.

"Fine then."

"T-Taichou..."Hanatarou said worriedly as his Captain was pulled to her feet. She gave the little healer a serene smile.

"Don't worry, Yamada-kun. Everything will be alright."

Hanatarou watched with wide, terrified blue eyes as his Taichou was led off down the hall by her captor, a slight tremble emanating from his body. Szayel also left with Nemu in tow, eager to begin his study of the girl.

Baraggan stood quietly as he studied his options alongside the other remaining Espada. It was really rather slim pickings in his opinion. His eyes fell onto one, however, that showed some promise. Not as entertainment or an easy conquest. That wasn't what concerned him. He simply wanted the best... incubator for his heir. This one was strong, and held himself with an air that was definitely nobility.

"I'll take the noble boy."he stated simply. Orihime's eyes narrowed in confusion, identical looks crossing Chad's and Uryuu's faces.

"But... Kuchiki-san is a male."Orihime stated what all the humans were thinking. "He can't even get pregnant."

Aizen laughed at the naivete of the girl.

"Human males cannot get pregnant, but Shinigami are not entirely human. Our bodies are not entirely solid, you see, made up almost entirely of reishi. Shinigami, Hollows, all spiritual beings, are more than capable of allowing a male to conceive. An amalgamation of both partners' reishi mingles within the submissive partner's body, allowing a fetus to be formed. Of course, it's just as hit and miss as a general pregnancy with a sperm and eggs, but not hindered by a twenty-eight day cycle."

Uryuu took in the information presented to them with an odd combination of fascination and disgust. It was certainly an interesting concept, something he would have to look into if-when- he got out of here. He was also extremely grateful at that moment to be 100% human. No pregnancy for him, thank the Gods...

"I'll take the redhead."Grimmjow said with a grin. "Nice and feisty, this should be entertaining."

Renji shot a glare in the Sexta Espada's direction. Of course it would be just his luck to end up with the one who hated Ichigo. The bastard would probably take that aggression out on him in addition to the torment that would be coming regardless of which of these freaks took him.

Nnoitra began to speak up to lay his claim on one of the prisoners, but was interrupted by Gin speaking from Aizen's side.

"Aizen-sama, would it be too much to ask to allow me a little pet of my own? It does get so lonely and boring..."

Aizen eyed the two Shinigami loyal to him for a moment, thinking over the silver-haired man's statement. While his precious hybrids were the key to his victory, a few more loyal pure Shinigami could also be useful, and he supposed the two of them had earned themselves a reward for their loyalty to him thus far. As his mind followed that same train of thought, another thought occurred to him. While as a Shinigami he would certainly live for a long time, he wouldn't live forever. Perhaps having an heir to groom would be a useful idea. Brown eyes drifted over the prisoners yet unclaimed as he made his decision on the matter.

"You've had your eye on the Kuchiki girl for quite some time, haven't you, Gin?"Aizen questioned, chuckling at the grin that spread across his subordinate's face at that. "Then she's yours. Just be careful with her."

"Yes, Aizen-sama."the fox-faced man grinned.

"Kaname, can I trust you to take proper care of my dear former lieutenant?"

"As you wish."Tosen stated simply.

"Don't you touch her!"Toushirou growled out, moving the best he could to place himself between Momo and the threat to her.

Aizen eyed the small Captain amusedly. The more he thought about it, the more perfect the boy seemed as the carrier of his heir. So young, yet already so strong. He could only imagine just how powerful he would become in another century, and any offspring of his would certainly be powerful as well. Generally speaking he preferred women, and in fact had considered taking Hinamori for himself, but he wasn't picky in that department, and Toushirou was by no means unattractive. His snow-colored hair and bright aquamarine eyes were certainly intriguing. But these facts were all secondary. It was his power, plain and simple, that was important to Aizen at this moment.

"I'd be more worried about myself if I were you, Hitsugaya-taichou."Aizen all but purred. "Because you have your own purpose to fulfill. I can think of no one better to be the carrier of my own heir."

"Over my dead body!"Toushirou immediately spat.

"Yours? Or hers?"Aizen said, indicating the girl he was trying to protect. Toushirou stiffened, narrowing aqua eyes at the madman.

"Shiro-chan..."Momo murmured softly, drawing the boy's attention. "I don't like this any more than you do... but we don't have a choice. Until someone comes to rescue us, we'll just have to do what Aizen-taichou wants."

Toushirou gazed at his friend with a sad expression. After everything he'd done, and everything he'd just made completely clear he still intended to do to them, the girl still called him Taichou. Her mental and emotional stability was still rather questionable, still suffering from the shock of what the traitor had done. It occurred to Toushirou that if he didn't obey, the bastard would probably take Momo in his place. He didn't want to imagine what that would do to her. She'd probably break completely, believing she'd have her precious Aizen-taichou back, and more than happy to be serving him in such a way... No, he refused to allow that to happen to her. So he would suffer in her place. He couldn't save her entirely from Aizen's wrath, but he could at least protect her from the worst possible outcome of it.

With a dejected look, Toushirou moved away from his defensive stance before Momo, reclaiming his position beside her. He'd play obedience now, but he swore the moment his reiatsu wasn't sealed, Aizen would be slaughtered.

Aizen pulled his eyes away from the now-obedient boy to find that Yammy and Nnoitra had taken it upon themselves to claim their own prisoners while he'd been handling the situation at hand, Yammy taking Rangiku and Nnoitra, Soi Fon. He gave one more reminder to the two of them to be as gentle as possibly with their prisoners before taking stock of who was left.

The two humans were incapable of being carriers. Ukitake's health and Hanatarou's frail frame meant they were unlikely to be able to successfully carry a child to term without serious risk to either themselves or the child in question. True, Hanatarou was not as small as Toushirou, but Toushirou had the reiatsu and muscle build from battle that he could safely carry a child. Hanatarou had none of that. Besides that, he was sure none of his male Arrancar would wish to degrade themselves (as they would see it) to the necessary actions to become a carrying parent. So these four prisoners would need female partners, making his choices rather limited.

"Tier,"he said, turning to the only female amongst his Espada. "I trust you and your Fraccion can attend to our remaining... guests."

Tier had a displeased look in her eyes. Sure, this whole plan was simple enough for the male Espada. Knock their victim up, then they were done. Assuming of course they each were only required to have one kid. She, on the other hand, was the one who would be carrying any offspring, dealing with everything that came along with pregnancy. And now he wanted the same of her Fraccion? She could understand where he was coming from, none of these men would do as carriers, and their choices were limited to make them sires, but still. Her three friends were irritating enough on an every day basis, she was not at all looking forward to what they would be like while having mood swings. As much as she wanted to refuse, she didn't wish to incur Aizen's wrath. She let out a short sigh before nodding in Aizen's direction.

"Of course, Aizen-sama."

xXxXxXx

"Simply fascinating..."Szayel murmured to himself, looking over the results of his analysis on Nemu. He'd immediately detected the presence of several poisons and chemical compounds in her body, no doubt a trap for anyone she were to fight against. The most fascinating had been one he'd found in her abdomen, something he most certainly would not have enjoyed being on the receiving end of.

After clearing out the toxins, he'd continued his analysis. The girl had been artificially created, through some rather intriguing combination of Gigai and Gikon technologies. This new discovery made him wonder if it was even possible for her to be a viable subject in Aizen-sama's experiment.

"Well, only one way to find out."he chuckled to himself, turning away from his analysis to look to the girl they pertained to. She'd still yet to say a word or lash out. She'd been stripped of her shihakusho and was now clad in white clothing that was a cross between a hospital gown and the clothing common among the Arrancar to wear. Szayel had let her hair loose, and it flowed down her back in thick waves that he was fairly sure were a result of the braid, and would eventually fall straight if left loose long enough.

"You are certainly an intriguing one, my dear."he stated, signaling with his hand for her to stand. She obeyed docilely. "And so obedient."

"Not obedient. Just mindful."she said, the first words out of her mouth since her capture.

"Oh? Of what?"

"However long it may take, the Seireitei will come for us eventually. And my Taichou would be rather irritated to have to repair any damage done to me by disobeying before I can return to my duties."

Szayel gave an amused smile at the girl's words.

"Very intriguing indeed."he repeated before turning and walking toward the doorway that connected his lab to his sleeping quarters. He knew without having to look at her that the girl was following behind him. He sealed the door before ordering Nemu to strip and move to the bed. She obeyed without a word, slipping the white dress off over her head and placing it on a nearby chair before seating herself on the edge of the plain white bed. Szayel's eyes roved over her bare form analytically as he stripped off his own clothing.

His analysis had shown that her body was made fully capable of conception, but he still had no data to go on to indicate her cross-compatibility with an Arrancar. As he'd pointed out to Aizen earlier, there was no precedent for any manner of inter-breeding between Arrancar and any other races. Even breeding singularly among the many sub-classes of Hollows was uncommon. It was unheard of for Gillian, too focused on constantly feeding to even bother with such things. It was not unheard of for Adjuchas, but was still decidedly rare due to the still existent need to feed. Even Szayel couldn't be sure of the breeding of Vasto Lorde, for the simple fact that the Vasto Lorde themselves were so rare an occurrence. The same could be said for the Arrancar, though he knew it to be possible only from a chance meeting. During his time as an Adjuchas, he had stumbled upon a female Arrancar, one of the rare who had attained such a level without Aizen's interference, who had been halfway through pregnancy at the time. He'd been intrigued and wanted to ask her a few questions-both about the pregnancy and her evolution- but she had warned him that if he were still around when her mate returned from hunting, the jealous Hollow would see to it he left minus a few crucial body parts, if he left at all.

As he wrapped up his thoughts, Szayel approached the bed, nonchalantly pushing the stoic girl to lay back on it. Maybe his comrades would see fit to have a little fun with their pets, but for him, it was only the results that were important. At least for now. Maybe he could use her to blow off some steam when he was stressed out. But for now he just wanted to make sure he could begin his study of this potential phenomenon.

"My analysis showed that you're a virgin. This will probably hurt."he said nonchalantly. The girl beneath him gave no response. She had an immensely high threshold for pain, so she was certain that she could handle it.

Szayel didn't know whether to be amused or annoyed by her lack of response. He was honestly a little of both. He gave a light scowl, fisting one hand in long black hair and jerking her head up.

"Say something, muñeca."

"What should I say?"Nemu asked. His scowl deepened, and he yanked on her black hair again, pulling her into a kneeling position on the bed. He was pleased to note that the rough treatment caused a slight wince on her countenance, but still nothing to indicate that she was in much pain.

"We don't have time for your little games, muñeca."he stated, his freehand reaching down to grab both of her own and drawing them to his semi-hard length. "I trust you know what to do from here?"

Nemu made no indication of assent, but began moving her hands at a slow pace. Szayel smirked, twisting her hair tighter in his grip.

"Faster."he demanded, and she wordlessly obeyed. He allowed a small moan to pass by his lips. Maybe it would be worth having a little fun with her, but not today. He had a job to do today.

"Stop."he stated simply once she'd brought him to full erection. As soon as her hands released him he pulled once more on her hair to throw her back on the bed. She didn't move from where she landed, and he eased himself between her legs.

"You shall certainly be an interesting little toy in the days to come, mi muñeca linda. But for today, we have work to do."

Without another word, he grasped himself and positioned himself against her entrance. With one solid thrust, he was buried fully inside her.

Nemu felt a searing pain in her lower body, the result of both her lost virginity and the lack of proper preparation. It was far worse than she had expected, but only a small gasp escaped her lips, accompanied by a widening of green eyes. Her fingers flexed minutely against the pure white blanket beneath her, but she remained otherwise still. Each movement the Octava Espada made within her threatened to draw another cry from her, but she managed to contain them all after the first. This was certainly not the worst pain she'd ever been in, the logical part of her mind knew that, but a small irrational part of her mind was screaming for someone to kill her and put an end to it.

She was thankful when the Espada gave a few harsh thrusts before going lax over her. He rolled to the side, taking a few moments to settle his uneven breathing before standing from the bed. He stepped into the suite's attached bathroom without a word, leaving the girl alone with her thoughts. Sitting up on the edge of the bed, Nemu found herself briefly wondering if this insane experiment would work. She supposed she would fine out in time. An idle thought briefly crossed her mind that her Taichou would probably be rather intrigued as well if this were successful...

xXxXxXx

Brown eyes glared venomously across the room at the Sexta Espada who simply let out an irritated sigh from where he was lounging in a comfortable chair.

"Give it a rest with the glares already. I'm not gonna touch you."

"Like I believe that."Renji growled, keeping a wary eye on Grimmjow. Blue eyes gazed at the redhead in irritation, another sigh slipping past his lips.

"Okay, listen and listen good, 'cause I only intend to say this once. This whole 'take over the world' bullshit Aizen's plotting? Not my cup of tea, so to speak."

Renji raised an eyebrow. "What' that got to do with this?"

"I figure if I keep you from getting mangled by one of the other fuckers around here, I can get some good sparring matches out of Kurosaki."

"Is that what you call trying to kill each other?"

Grimmjow laughed. "You don't get it, I see. The best sparring matches are when you go out, with full intent to kill. But I think we both know damn well at this point, neither of us is going to kill the other any time soon. We're both too stubborn to be taken out."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"Hm?"it was Grimmjow's turn to raise an eyebrow. "What? Aren't you two an item?"

Renji stared dumbfounded at the Espada, unsure at first how to react.

"W-what the hell?! No, we're not!"

"Huh... So the tough guy's too much of a pussy to admit it, eh?"

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

"The blush on your face says otherwise."Grimmjow grinned, causing Renji to sputter. The grin faded after only a few moments though. "But in all seriousness... I'm not gonna be like the rest of these guys and force you. But do you think Aizen's just going to assume we're listening to orders and leave it at that? I'm sure at some point or another he's going to be checking to see that things are going the way they're supposed to, especially if some of his prisoners get knocked up but others don't. And if he does that, and finds out we haven't even done anything, you'll just be given to one of the others, who certainly won't be as nice as I am."

Renji frowned, seeing the other male's point. That still didn't make him want to go along with this though.

"Look, I'm not saying I'm gonna be screwing you on a nightly basis like the others are probably getting. But if you aren't taking it up the ass at least occasionally, you'll be fucked in a whole other sense of the word."

Renji cringed at Grimmjow's choice of words on the subject, but as much as he loathed to admit it, the other was absolutely right. He certainly didn't relish the thought of sleeping with Grimmjow, but it was better than the alternative if Aizen found out he wasn't doing just that.

Then of course was the thought that should have been paramount: the ultimate result of just WHY he would be sleeping with the Espada. He unconsciously let a hand drift over his abdomen. Even though he'd known that as a Shinigami it was perfectly possible for him to be pregnant, he'd never allowed himself to believe that it would happen. He'd spent the majority of his life as straight, subconsciously thinking for a long time that he would end up with Rukia. Then even when things shifted, and he realized he was in fact bisexual, he'd always been a seme, so of course he'd assumed even if he did end up settling down with a man permanently rather than a woman, he'd still be the sire of any children he'd end up having, not the carrier.

"Fine..."he finally managed to force out, his fingers now gripping his shihakusho over his stomach.

Grimmjow had been watching the Shinigami during his entire internal conflict. He couldn't really fathom what he must be feeling as his hand rested on his abdomen, but he was sure it was not happy thoughts of impending 'motherhood'. He let out another irritated sigh. Forced or not, he was sure Kurosaki would still seriously want to kick his ass for what he was going to have to do to the guy he was too stubborn to admit he had feelings for.

It would certainly be a fun fight...

xXxXxXx

"Please tell me you're kidding."Franceska Mila Rose said, staring at her mistress while her other two companions observed the men that had been pulled along with her to the room.

"I wish I was."Tier sighed. "But I'm completely serious. Aizen-sama wants us to breed with them, or at least attempt to. We're still not entirely certain that it's possible."

"Hm, interesting..."Cyan Sung-Sun commented. "Have you made the decision on how to... divide them up?"

At least she could rely on Cyan to be level-headed and get straight to the point.

"I'll be taking the one with the highest spiritual pressure."Tier said, all eyes in the room instantly falling to Juushirou. "The rest of them you can divide amongst yourselves as you like."

With that, Tier stepped from the sitting area of her chambers into her sleeping quarters with Juushirou in tow, leaving her Fraccion to decide for themselves how to divide up the other three prisoners.

Franceska let out an irritated sigh. This was just great. She knew full well that she was not the motherly type, and she shuddered to think how Cyan and Emilou would handle children of their own. But she supposed they didn't have a choice.

"I guess I'll take the strong one. I doubt either of you two could handle him."she finally stated.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"Emilou immediately snapped in irritation.

"She has a point."Cyan stated calmly. "It's a simple matter of build, Apacci. You and I are too delicate to handle someone so large."

Emilou rolled her eyes, but decided to simply let the other two have their way. She wasn't particularly interested in the big guy, anyway. She found the little one more interesting. He kept blue eyes averted, staring at the floor in front of his feet. Bossing him around was sure to be plenty of fun.

"I'll take the little guy then."she said to the others, to which Cyan gave a shrug.

"Very well. I have no qualms against taking this one."

Uryuu glared at the female Arrancar, who was gazing at him with amused lavender eyes. So this was the Quincy she'd heard so much about. This would certainly be fun...

xXxXxXx

If nothing else, Byakuya could say he had pride. Even stripped of his kenseikan, his scarf, and his Taichou haori, he still maintained his pride as the head of the noble Kuchiki Clan and a Taichou of the Gotei 13. Nothing could ever strip him of that. As such, he held his head high as he followed the old man through the pure white halls of Las Noches. He got the sense from the Baraggan that he considered this whole thing to be a hassle, and wouldn't mess with him anymore than was necessary.

He was more concerned about his sister than himself, if he were honest with himself. His new 'master' had taken him from the room before he could learn which of their captors had laid claim to her, and he doubted she would be treated gently regardless of who that was. His mind was already going over just what he would do to Aizen if his precious sister was harmed, beginning with separating a certain lower extremity from the brunette's body.

He wouldn't dare allow anyone to see it on the outside, but Byakuya felt a wave of apprehension wash over him as he was led into the King of Hueco Mundo's chambers. The man bluntly ordered him to strip, making some comment about returning shortly before exiting the room again. Byakuya briefly considered refusing the order given to him, but decided better against it. With his reiatsu sealed as it was, he stood no chance of defending himself against the Segunda Espada should he choose to punish him for his insolence. He could do no good to his sister battered and broken.

Byakuya silently stripped out of his shihakusho, his tekkou, and the remainder of his garments, neatly folding the clothing and placing it in a nearby chair. He entertained the idea of sitting on the bed, but that would present an air of submissiveness, so he stubbornly remained standing in the center of the room. After some time, the noble's captor returned, carrying something in his hand. Byakuya wondered what it was, but did not express his curiosity.

Baraggan was pleased that the Shinigami had done as ordered in his absence. With his reishi contained by the silver bangle on his wrist, he could easily have forced him to comply, but he just didn't want to deal with that hassle. He took a moment to study the Shinigami's body, but not in a blatantly sexual manner. He certainly had the build to be able to safely carry an heir to full term, and the immense spiritual pressure, which he could sense even with it contained by the bangle, would ensure the strength of the child.

Setting the vial of pills he'd gone to retrieve from Szayel on a table near the bed, Baraggan instructed the Shinigami to kneel on the king-sized bed as he removed his own clothing. He was mildly amused to note his stubborn determination to keep his pride intact even in this demeaning act. Once the Espada had his own clothing stripped, he turned again to the vial, lifting it and studying the round white pills. He had said they would make the job easier, and that he had also sent one of his Fraccion off to give a few bottles to Tier and her own Fraccion to handle their prisoners as well. After all, it was much more difficult for a woman to rape a man than the other way around, at least without a little help in the matter.

With a sigh, the old Espada removed two pills from the bottle and swallowed them down. He didn't feel any different at first, but after a few minutes he began to feel the blood in his body heating up, eventually beginning to flow to more... interesting areas. A mere five minutes after he'd swallowed down the pills, his body was at full attention, prepared for what needed to be accomplished.

Baraggan moved to stand beside the bed, noting that the Shinigami had not moved from the humiliating position he'd found himself in. But he still had that damn stoic expression on his face. Well, he'd tend to that soon enough. Without giving any manner of warning, he placed hands on the pale Shinigami's hips, jerking him backward in position to line up his shot. Then without a moment's hesitation, he pushed into his entrance, barely able to suppress a groan at the tight heat.

Even Byakuya only had so much control, and a muted cry rose to his lips at the rough intrusion. While he was far from a virgin in general terms, this in particular was something entirely new to him. The pain was intense, and he was certain he felt something tear. It wasn't long before he felt something wet running down one of his legs. Blood, no doubt. He doubted he'd be sitting properly for the next few days, or until he came into contact with Orihime, whichever came first. The pain wasn't exactly unbearable, but it was close enough, and he found himself taking deep, almost hissing breaths, his eyes shut tightly in furious denial at even the very notion of tears. He didn't understand how that boy he'd one time had the misfortune of walking in on Renji with could have been enjoying this so much. Either he was a masochist, or Renji was more skilled than he gave him credit for.

Baraggan gave a few more brutal thrusts before letting out a grunt as he filled the Shinigami with his seed. He stilled for a few moments to gather his breath before pulling out, watching as a mixture of blood and semen seeped out and rand down pale thighs. There was a slight tremble to Byakuya's body, the noble fighting with his muscles to stay in the position he was in, even though his body screamed at him to just collapse against the white sheets below him.

"That'll leave a mess on the sheets."Baraggan commented idly. "I"ll have to have Ggio change the bedding."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> muñeca= "doll"
> 
> mi muñeca linda= "my pretty doll"


	3. Determination

**Hybrid Theory**

_Evil Plans for Innocent Souls  
_

Chapter Three: Determination

 

October 11, 2001  
  
  
  
Rukia desperately twisted her arms, trying to untie the binds tying her wrists behind her back. But they were too tight, and with her spirit energy sealed, she was unable to break them. She cursed under her breath, trying to pull herself into a sitting position on the bed she'd been unceremoniously tossed to upon arriving in the room. Her captor was seated in one of the room's comfortable chairs, eying her silently.  
  
  
  
Gin was delicately working over in his head how to go about this. His request to Aizen had been a half-truth. He'd been hoping Aizen would have given him Ran-chan, so he could keep her from being harmed too badly in all this. Unfortunately, that had not been the case. Not that he didn't find Rukia attractive in her own way, despite being the opposite of Rangiku in every sense of the word. Still, until his moment came, he would have to continue on without suspicion...  
  
  
  
Finally standing from his chair, Gin approached the bed. Rukia's eyes grew wide, and she moved backward across the bed away from him until her back hit the wall.  
  
  
  
"I'd rather not hurt you if I don't have to."he said with crossed arms. "But rest assured I will do so if you leave me no other option."  
  
  
  
Violet eyes narrowed at the silver-haired traitor looming over her. She by no means wanted to make things easy for the fox-faced bastard, but at the same time she had to consider her own well-being while unable to properly defend herself. She didn't doubt that Ichimaru would make good on his threat and hurt her to get what he wanted. Just because she needed to be healthy to carry a baby didn't mean he couldn't snap her arm or something worse BEFORE she got pregnant.  
  
  
  
With no small amount of resignation, Rukia relaxed her body in what she hoped was a submissive stance. Gin smirked, crawling across the bed to lean over the petite Shinigami. His fingers gripped the front of her Shihakusho, pushing it down her shoulders to bunch around her bindings and belt, baring her small breasts to him. Rukia turned her head away, eyes clenched tightly shut as if not seeing what was happening to her would make it not real. Gin's hands remained busy, undoing her belt to get to her hakama, allowing it to slide unobstructed down slender legs. Rukia was left completely naked save for where her binds forced her top to remain bunched around her arms.  
  
  
  
"Adorable."Gin chuckled, hands sliding along slight, slender curves. Rukia clenched her eyes even tighter, hands gripping at the cloth bunched around them as Gin's hands slid lower on her body.  
  
  
  
"So nervous."Gin smirked, fingers gliding surprisingly gently along the silky petals between her legs. "You're a virgin, aren't you, Kuchiki-chan?"  
  
  
  
"Sh-shut up!"Rukia snapped, face flushing crimson. It was bad enough that this bastard was going to be taking her virginity, she wouldn't let him add insult to injury by rubbing that fact in her face. Gin chuckled, leaning forward to nip teasingly at her slender neck.  
  
  
  
"Don't worry. As long as you don't fight me, I'll make sure this doesn't hurt anymore than it has to."  
  
  
  
Rukia found herself glaring up at him, but she wasn't stupid enough to fight back and cause anymore pain than she knew was inevitable with the coming loss of her virginity. She swallowed hard as Gin leaned back and stood at the edge of the bed, stripping himself of his clothing. Despite herself, Rukia found her eyes drifting between his legs to his already fully erect length. He was average-sized, but to one as inexperienced as her, he looked huge. Was that really supposed to fit inside her?  
  
  
  
"See something you like?"the silver-haired man teased. He simply chuckled at the scowl his captive leveled at him, crawling once more across the bed to loom over her. He gripped her legs, lifting and bending them so that her knees were draped over his hips. His fingers again drifted between her legs, and her eyes snapped shut once more in denial of what was happening to her.  
  
  
  
"If you let me, I can make this pleasurable for you as well."he grinned, letting his thumb rub teasingly against her pleasure button. Rukia clamped her teeth down on her lower lip, choking back the little pleasured gasp that had threatened to spill forth at the sensation. Gin chuckled, continuing to tease that spot as he allowed one long finger to press inside her. A choked whimper escaped her lips, feeling a sharp sting at the intrusion.  
  
  
  
"Just relax."he rumbled lowly against her ear before nibbling on the shell, a second finger sliding in alongside the first. Another whimper escaped her, and she tried to obey his order to relax if only to lessen the pain. Gin's fingers scissored and stretched inside her, and eventually the pain faded to a dull sting before fading entirely. Feeling her muscles relax, Gin withdrew his fingers, one hand resting on her hip as the other grasped his length.  
  
  
  
"Relax."he reminded her before beginning to push inside of her. She relaxed to the best of her ability, relieved that the stretching he'd done resulted in it being more uncomfortable than painful. It didn't take long, however, before he was pressed against the final barrier marking her virginity. He paused for a moment, both hands now holding her hips.  
  
  
  
"This will hurt,"he said lowly. "There's nothing I can do about that. Just breathe and it will pass."  
  
  
  
Before Rukia had the opportunity to respond, his hips surged forward, tearing through the fragile membrane. Rukia let out a pained cry, her back arching. Gin remained still, allowing the petite woman time to recover. Once her pained breaths steadied out to normal, he began moving again, his hips rocking steadily in an out of her. Rukia was grateful that he was being so gentle with her, not that she would ever say as much to him. The pain had not vanished entirely, but it had been reduced to a dull ache that she was more than capable of enduring.  
  
  
  
What felt like an eternity later, but in actuality couldn't have been more than thirty minutes, Gin gave a few last thrusts before filling her. Rukia felt a revolted shiver run down her spine at the sensation, and was quick to move away from the fox-faced man the moment he pulled himself out of her.  
  
  
  
“Well, that was fun.”Gin chuckled as he tucked himself away. “We'll have to do it again some time.”  
  
  
  
Rukia glared daggers at him at the insinuation.  
  
  
  
“I don't want you ever laying hands on me again, you bastard.”she spat.  
  
  
  
“That's all up to your body, my dear. You better hope this time takes, or we'll have to try again.”  
  
  
  
Rukia certainly didn't want to do that again. As much as she didn't want to have the bastard's child, she prayed it had worked and she was pregnant, if only so he never had a reason to lay hands on her ever again.  
  
  
  
XxxXxXx  
  
  
  
Orihime wasn't surprised to find that she was not led back to the chamber she had been confined to before the arrival of her would-be rescuers. She was instead led down several halls until they reached the doorway to a suite. Despite being significantly larger than the room she had been in, it was equally as bare, nothing but a queen-sized bed taking up space near one wall. There was a door on a separate wall that she could only assume led to a bathroom.  
  
  
  
Ulquiorra closed the door behind him and immediately moved over to the bed. He sat on the edge before looking up at her, empty green eyes staring at her silently. She swallowed hard, fighting her body's instinct to fidget.  
  
  
  
"I don't understand why Aizen-sama thinks it's worth his time to breed you or that large human."he finally said tonelessly. "Your powers aren't genetic, and your spiritual pressure itself is not significantly higher than a normal human's.  
  
  
  
Orihime frowned and crossed her arms in front of her as she looked at him. She wasn't sure whether or not she should feel insulted, but she certainly felt irritated.  
  
  
  
"Well, if you don't want to er, breed with me, then that's perfectly fine with me. I didn't exactly volunteer my services here, you know."  
  
  
  
The pale man looked to her with what could pass for amusement in his cold eyes before stating dully,  
  
  
  
"Well, let's get this over with..."  
  
  
  
XxxXxXx  
  
October 12, 2001  
  
  
  
Orihime was grateful beyond words that no one had suffered any serious injuries after their first night in this hell hole. Their captors were by no means gentle, but the damage inflicted was minimal and easy enough for Shuno and Ayame to heal.  
  
  
  
Rangiku had suffered the worst damage. Yammy was just as large as the rest of his body suggested, and Rangiku had not been able to accomodate him easily. She'd barely managed to walk on her own to the room the prisoners were gathered in.  
  
  
  
"The guy's a damn monster..."Rangiku hissed with pain, lying on the white couch beneath the healing barrier of golden light. "I don't know if I can handle him again..."  
  
  
  
"But there's nothing you can do about it."Orihime murmured in sympathy. "If you try to fight, he'll just force himself on you. And that'll do much worse damage."  
  
  
  
Renji silently observed the room as Orihime continued to heal Rangiku. Rukia was sitting close to her brother, looking visibly shaken by her experience. The normally stoic taichou had his arms comfortingly around the petite woman, but despite his determination to appear unphased, Renji could sense that it was just as much for his own comfort as hers. Toushirou and Mom both sat close to where Rangiku was laying as she was healed, Toushirou silent as Mom offered words of comfort and encouragement to her friend. Nemu was her normal stoic self, while Soi Fon was silent but seemed to be fuming. Hanatarou had almost immediately gravitated toward Retsu like a beaten puppy seeking out its mother for comfort. Retrsu herself was calm, but Renji could feel it was simply to keep from causing any of the other additional worry for her sake. Uryuu had fallen into his own withdrawn silence seated beside Chad-calm as usual-while Juushirou seemed more concerned with ensuring Rukia was alright than with his own state.  
  
  
  
After his silent observation, it was clear to Renji that he was likely the only prisoner who had not yet been touched. It was difficult to tell in Chad's and Nemu's cases, but the others were clearly shaken, even if some of them tried to hide it and act normal. The fact that Byakuya and Toushirou had needed healing from Orihime was another good inidcaotr of where the two ment stood in that respect. The relief that he'd had at the agreement he and Grimmjow had come to was overshadowed by guilt at the knowledge that the others had all suffered at the hands of their captors, while he had not.  
  
  
  
"There."Orihime said softly as the barrier faded, the two fairies floating beside her with their task finished. "You should be alright now, Rangiku-chan."  
  
  
  
"Yeah, until tonight."Rangiku said sulkily as she sat up. She had to admit, Orihime's powers were impressive. It was as if that brute had never touched her.  
  
  
  
"We just have to hold on until we're rescued."Orihime said encouragingly, taking the older woman's hand.  
  
  
  
"While that may be true,"Juushirou spoke up. "We must also accept the fact that we won't be rescued right away."  
  
  
  
"Our capture cut the Seireitei's forces by too much."Soi Fon piped up, fingers angrily clenching in the cloth of the while clothing she wore. "That lone is going to cause delays. I doubt we'll be rescued before those... things are born."  
  
  
  
The tone of Soi Fon's words made it abundantly clear that she did not see anything human about the offspring Aizen expected them to carry-that some of them may very well already be carrying. Orihime swallowed hard at the woman's tone. While these circumstances were far from ideal, she would never take any of this out on any child she may have as a result of the incident. A child couldn't be blamed for the manner of their conception, nor who their parents were. The children that they would each likely be caring for by the time they were rescued would be completely innocent, just as much victims as they themselves were.  
  
  
  
"Soi Fon-taichou, you cannot blame the children for this."Retsu stated calmly.  
  
  
  
"Children?!"the younger woman snapped. "How can you even call them that?! They're Hollow, Unohana! Hollow parasites put in us against our will!"  
  
  
  
A slapp suddenly rang ou in the room, all eyes growing wide at the sight of the normally serene Unohana Retsu slapping Soi Fon across the face. Soi Fon's own eyes were wide in shock as her hand rose to her stinging cheek.  
  
  
  
"Think before you speak, Shaolin."Retsu said firmly, using the bairth name Soi Fon had not beem addressed by in many years. "Not all of us are intended to carry our offspring, and not all of us are carrying offspring of the Arrancar. But no matter what they circumstances, they are still children! OUR children! It isn't as if some stranger's offspring is using us as an incubator!"Retsu had begun calmly, but grew closer to hysteria with each word. No one had ever seen her this way, and no one was sure how to react in order to calm her. "Whether you like it or not, no matter how tragic the details, you are that child's mother! And as its mother, it is your duty to love and protect it! Not to condemn it for circumstances outside its control!"  
  
  
  
"She's right."Toushirou spoike up, his first words since they'd gathered together. His voice was only minutely above a whisper, yet carred clearly to the other occupants of the room. "No matter what else, these are our children. And I... I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure my child doesn't turn out like Aizen..."  
  
  
  
A silence washed over the room, everyone thinking over everything that each of the four taichou had said. Retsu's and Toushirou's words had finally pushed home the truth of the situation which most of them had not wanted to think on until forced to do so: by this time next year, each of them would be parents, like it or not. They would each have their own children relying on them, and needing their direction to go toward the right path, and not the path Aizen would try to steer them down.  
  
  
  
"It's not going to be easy."Rangiku murmured, placing a hand against her flat stomach. "But until we're rescued... it's really all we can do too look after them, to keep them safe and healthy."  
  
  
  
Orihime nodded in agreement beside her. As long as they were here, they would have to focus on the well-being of the children that would be coming. She only prayed that things wouldn't spiral horribly out of control...  
  
  
  
XxxXxXx  
  
  
  
"You sure you're ready to do this, Abarai?"Grimmjow questioned with a smirk, watching as the red-haired Shinigami stripped.  
  
  
  
"Don't give me that look, you perv!"Renji snapped, crossing his arms over his bare chest. He'd managed to strip from the waist up before being interrupted by the blue-haired Espada. "It's not like I WANT to sleep with you! It's just... well..." he averted his gaze. "After I saw the others today, and realized what they'd been through..."  
  
  
  
"You felt like a dick for not doing it when they all had to?"  
  
  
  
Renji frowned. "I wanted to phrase it better, but to put it bluntly, yes."  
  
  
  
Grimmjow laughed at the redhead's reaction, lounging naked on his bed while he waited for the other to finish stripping.  
  
  
  
"Alright then, moody. Get those clothes off and let's put a bun in your oven."  
  
  
  
Renji glowered at the other male, but finished stripping before moving over to the bed. As soon as he was within reach, Grimmjow grabbed his wrist and yanked him forward, pinning the redhead to the bed under him.  
  
  
  
"At least this is one thing I can say for sure I beat Kurosaki at,"he smirked, letting one hand trail down the tattooed frame. "I get your ass before he does."  
  
  
  
"Quit saying that!"Renji growled. "There's nothing between me and Ichigo!"  
  
  
  
"You two aren't fooling anyone."the Espada smirked, hands pushing back the slimmer male's thighs to spread his legs. "Except for each other, apparently. Anyone with eyes can tell the two of you want to screw each other." If anyone were ever to ask, Renji would deny having blushed at the statement, but Grimmjow would happily inform anyone that his face was a shade of red that could easily rival his hair. "Maybe even have your own little family and happily every after some day, hm? Tell you what. If it makes things easier for you, just close your eyes and pretend I'm Kurosaki."  
  
  
  
Renji didn't respond out lout, but he had to admit it wasn't a bad suggestion. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to clear his mind of the truth of his situation and pretend that it was Ichigo he was with. Ichigo's fingers pressing inside of him and stretching him out, Ichigo's hands maneuvering him onto his hands and knees, Ichigo's hard length pressing against his entrance before filling him in one smooth thrust.  
  
  
  
"Shit..."he cursed under his breath, trying to adjust to the strining, stretching sensation. He was grateful that the other male had taken the care to keep it from being too painful, but the foreign intrustion into his body was still uncomfortable. Grimmjow paused to allow the rehead some time to adjust before firmly gripping his hips, beginning a steady rhythm in and out of the lean body. Renji clutched tightly at the white blanket beneath him, trying to fall back into the fantasy that was making this all bearable for him. He immersed himself in the illusion that it was Ichigo taking him, and each time the Espada's length pressed against the bundle of nerves inside him, he let out a small cry of pleasure. Grimmjow gave a fearl grin at the sounds coming from the redhead. Fantasy or not, he knew he was ultimately the one causing Renji's pleasure. He allowed on hand to slip from his hip, sliding around his front. When his fingers wrapped around the redhead's length, Renji let out a surprised gasp.  
  
  
  
"Relax, red."the Sexta Espada said in his ear. "It's no fun if I'm the only one enjoying myself, is it?"  
  
  
  
Renji wanted to argue, but the other male pumped him with expert ease, pushing him close to the climax his mind dreaded even as his body craved it. He tried to resist, but it took only a few strokes of the blue-haired male's hand before he was crying out in pleasure, his muscles tensing as he released against the bed beneath him. His head was swimming, and he barely registered as Grimmjow thrust hard into him a few more times before filling him with his seed. The Espada pulled out of him as gently as he could manage before rolling to the side to once more lounge on the bed beside him. There was silence for a few moments as Renji gathered his thoughts, eventually laying his head on the pillow on his half of the bed and lowering his body to the matress.  
  
  
  
"I'd say once a week or so till we're sure you're knocked up."Grimmjow spoke as if it were a normal, every day subject. "After that, you won't have to worry about me touching you. That was our deal, after all."  
  
  
  
Renji simply nodded silently, wrapping his arms around his abdomen. He thought it would be a while before he came to terms with his inevitable parenthood. It was a little depressing, but he was worried that it would completely shoot down his already relatively low chances with Ichigo. Single dads weren't exactly at the top of a teenager's list of people to date. Or, he supposed, in this case he would technically be considered a single mom... Great...  
  
  
  
XxxXxXx  
  
October 13, 2001  
  
  
  
Ichigo's unconscious mind swam with a myriad of thoughts and images, each one flitting by momentarily only to be quickly replaced by the next. Nel... Inoue... Ishida... Chad... Rukia... Renji... Renji...  
  
  
  
Ichigo found himself waking with a start. He had come embarrasingly clost to calling the redhead's name as he awoke, but he deep-seated determination to keep that fact a buried secret allowed him to avoid that awful cliche. He sat up the moment he was fully conscious, the sudden motion causing a searing pain to run through his chest.  
  
  
  
"You shouldn't move too quickly. You're seriously injured!"said a soft voice nearby. Ichigo glanced up to see the silver-haired fukutaichou of the 4th Division looking at him concernedly. He blinked brown eyes in confusion at seeing her, before glancing around at his surroundings. It was that he realized he had woken up in a hospital bed, no doubt within the 4th Division Barracks.  
  
  
  
"What the hell am I doing here?!"he demanded.  
  
  
  
"Zaraki-taichou brought you here. Along with that little Arrancar girl."Isane explained.  
  
  
  
"Just me and Nel? W-what about Inoue and Renji and the others?!"  
  
  
  
Isane shook her head. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to extract them from Hueco Mundo. Not only that, but-"  
  
  
  
"You just left them there?!"Ichigo said furiously before Isane could finish her sentence. Ignoring the pain shooting through his entire upper body, Ichigo threw off the blanket covering his legs and began to stand.  
  
  
  
"You're not well enough to be getting out of bed!"Isane exclaimed, reaching forward to stop him.  
  
  
  
"Then get Unohana in here to heal me!"  
  
  
  
"She's not here!"Isane immediately snapped back. Ichigo could tell by her pained expression that her taichou hadn't simply stepped out of the barracks for a while.  
  
  
  
"What's going on, Isane?"he asked as calmly as he could manage. "What happened to Unohana?"  
  
  
  
"That's what the old man want to discuss with you, Kurosaki."said a gruff voice. Ichigo and Isane both looked up to see Kenpachi looming in the doorway with his arms crossed, Yachiru perched upon his shoulder as usual.  
  
  
  
"Hiya, Itchy!"Yachiru said with her normal gleeful enthusiasm. Kenpachi turned his gaze to Isane.  
  
  
  
"Yamamoto wants him to be at the Taichou meeting. Says he should know everything that went on while he was out of it."  
  
  
  
"Fine, but I don't think he should be walking just yet."Isane sighed before looking to Ichigo again. "At least use a wheelchair. Pushing yourself isn't going to help your injuries any."  
  
  
  
Ichigo gave a defeated sigh and allowed himself to be pushed down the halls in a wheelchair by Isane. Yachiru was babbling what she thought to be the right directions the entire time, and Ichigo found it easier to count the amount of times she was right rather than wrong. Which was a grand total of twice. He honestly wondered how Kenpachi handled having her around constantly like he did.  
  
  
  
They eventually came to the spacious meeting room of the 1st Division Barracks. Kenpachi quickly moved to his normal post in the line of taichou, Isane placing Ichigo's chair in the center of the room before moving to her own post a few feet behind where Unohana would be standing if she were present. It didn't take Ichigo long to come to the realization that Division 4's Captain wasn't the only person absent from the meeting of taichou and fukutaichou. He allowed his eyes to slide along the rows, taking note of who was gone. Soi Fon... Unohana... Momo... Byakuya... Toushirou... Rangiku... Nemu... Juushirou... All were mysteriously absent. But that wasn't the only thing stranged about the gathering. He was even more confused by the fact that his father was there, clad in a shihakusho and standing beside the soutaichou.  
  
  
  
"What... what the hell is going on?"Ichigo asked as calmly as he could manage despite the chaos his mind was in. "How could you just abandone Renji and Rukia and my friends? Why aren't Unohana and some of the other taichou and fukutaichou here? And what the HELL is my FATHER doing here?!"  
  
  
  
"Calm yourself, Kurosaki Ichigo."Yamamoto said calmly. "This is precisely why you have been granted permission to attend this meeting, to recieve these answers."  
  
  
  
Ichigo scowled, but nodded and silently listened in to the meeting. Apparently, after his fight with Grimmjow, he had been blind-sided by another Espada, knocked unconscious along with nel. The same bastard had re-captured Inoue and returned to the confines of Los Noches shortly before Kenpachi's arrival. Not wanting to lose his favorite sparring partner, the 11th Division Taichou had taken the substitute Shinigami and small Arrancar back to the Seireitei for healing. Several of the taichou and fukutaichou had been sent to put an end to Aizen, but it seemed the man had been lying in wait for just such an occurance. It had become nothing short of all out war. Many were struck down and retreated, reinforcements sent out... By the time the forces of Soul Society had had to make a full retreat, several of the taichou and fukutaichou were reported missing in action, along with the lower-ranked Hanatarou and the friends who had accompanied him on his dangerous mission. Whether they wre killed or simply taken prisoner, no one was certain, but many doubted Aizen had any reason to keep them alive.  
  
  
  
Ichigo angrily clenched his fists as he listened to everything being said. Not only had he failed to save Inoue, but the circumstances had forced him to inadvertently anadone the others... abandon Renji...  
  
  
  
"Isane... I want you to heal me as quickly as possible."he stated lowly. "I have to get back there. I have to save them."  
  
  
  
"Thats impossible, Ichigo."Ichigo looked up in surprise at his fahter's serious tone. The man was by no means melodramatic 100% of the time, but Ichigo knew things had to be quite serious for  him to use that tone. "Not only have you already proven you don't have the strength to take on the Espada alone, but the situation leaves you with no reinforcements to rely on. The Seireitei needs time to rebuild its forces. A lot of time. Taichou-material Shinigami don't just pop out of the woodwork on a daily basis, you know."  
  
  
  
"I still don't get why you're here, dad..."  
  
  
  
"Shiba was one of the best Taichou we ever had."Shunsui chuckled from his position. "That is until he decided to settle down with that Kurosaki woman."  
  
  
  
Ichigo felts his head swimming at the information revealed to him.  
  
  
  
"Dad... you're a Shinigami? Why the hell didn't you say anything?!"  
  
  
  
"Would you have believed me?"Isshin asked plainly. Ichigo frowned, but when he consdiered it, he supposed his father was right. He definitely wouldn't have, at least not until recently.  
  
  
  
And then what Shunsui had actually called his father registered fully in Ichigo's mind, and he struggled for how to respond. Not only was his father a Shinigami, a Taichou-leven one at that, but he was part of the Shiba family? He was related to Kukaku and the dunce Ganju? What. The. Hell?!  
  
  
  
"I gave it all up when I met your mother."Isshin explained. "I intended to live a mortal life with her and you kids. But that's no longer possible. I'm needed here. And... that's where you come into the picture, Ichigo."  
  
  
  
"Me?"Ichigo blinked.  
  
  
  
"You are indeed a powerful Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo."the soutaichou spoke up. "But your power can still be better honed. Once you have recovered from your injuries, it would be best for you to attend Shinoreijutsuin. This way, when we have rebuilt our forces enough to make another attempt against Aizen, you will be that much more powerful. Your sisters have already accepted."  
  
  
  
"Karin and Yuzu?!"he exclaimed in shock. Isshin nodded.  
  
  
  
"That's right. Karin shows some great promis as a Shinigami. Yuzu isn't as strong offensively as the two of you, but she does show some promise as a healer. With a few years' training,s he could be a high-ranked officer in the 4th Division."  
  
  
  
Ichigo was dumbstruck. He'd never had any reason to believe his Shinigami powers were genetic, and therefore no reasonto think his sisters might be similarly gifted. He wasn't too surprised about Karin, as she had always been sensitive to spirits even if not as strongly as he was, but Yuzu was a complete shock to him. He'd never seen any signs of spiritual sensitivity from her before.  
  
  
  
"Just how long is it supposed to take to rebuild enough to make another rescue attempt?"he found himself asking. As much as he hated to admit it, his previous failure made it clear that making another attempt at rescue on his own was not an option. He had no choice but to wait for the Seireitei to be prepared to launch their own attack, and to attack alongside them.  
  
  
  
"Things are far from ideal."Isshin said hesitantlyl, rubbing the back of his neck. "Exactly how long things well take is debatable. Our best case scenario is eighteen months."  
  
  
  
Ichigo swallowed hard. A year and a half... if Renji and the others had been taken alive, could they really expect Aizen to KEEP them alive for that long?  
  
  
  
"And the worst case scenario?"Ichigo murmured, not entirely sure he even wanted an answer. If the best they could hope for was eighteen months, then how bad must the worst be? He visibly saw his father hesitating before Shunsui decided to answer for him.  
  
  
  
"Our worst case scenario:it takes a decade."the brunette answered. "But remember the key words here are 'worst case'. It's highly doubtful that it'll take THAT long."  
  
  
  
Ichigo bolted up at the statement, ignoring the resulting pain that shot through his body.  
  
  
  
"Ten years?! No way Aizen would just sit around waiting that long! He'll kill them long before that, and probably launch an attack of his own!"  
  
  
  
"Both very real possibilities, but what else would you propose?"the soutaichou questioned. "Attacking unprepared and weakened? Against a force that even at full strength we barely managed to retreat from with our lives?"  
  
  
  
Ichigo clenched his fists as his sides. He knew what the old man was saying was true, but still he wanted to object. But he knew that his objections were pointless. He felt a weight upon his shoulder, and glanced up to find his father had stepped up beside him, a hand upon his shoulder.  
  
  
  
"I know it's hard, Ichigo."Isshin murmured to his son. "You want to save Renji and all the others. But do you think they'd be happy if you got yourself killed because you reushed in unprepared?"  
  
  
  
"No... they wouldn't..."Ichigo said in response, allowing his father to ease him back down into the wheelchair. "So you want me to go to Shinoreijutsuin, huh? Well, I can't just sit around doing nothing until you're ready to launch a rescue, can I? Alright, I'll do it."  
  
  
  
Yamamoto nodded in approval.  
  
  
  
"As soon as Kotetsu-fukutaichou gives you medical clearance, you'll be allowed to begin."  
  
  
  
Ichigo nodded, giving a defeated sigh. "Yes, sir..."  
  
  
  
XxxXxXx  
  
October 31, 2001  
  
  
  
"So what's the verdict?"Renji asked as Retsu returned to the meeting room, trying his best to bring some humor to the dark situation. With the month closing, Aizen had directed the woman to run the necesarry tests to see if his experiments had yielded any results.  
  
  
  
"A number of the... attempts were successful."Retsu answered, trying to phrase things as delicately as she could. The woman seemed hesitant at first, uncertain as to where to begin on the list. Lillynette, whome Starrk had ordered to escort Retrsu for the day, gave an annoyed sigh from beside the older woman.  
  
  
  
"You may as well start by saying you're one of the ones knocked up."the small Arrancar stated bluntly.  
  
  
  
"Yes, that's true..."Retsu murmured with a sigh. "As are Kuchiki-taichou, Hitsugaya-taichou, and Soi Fon-taichou."  
  
  
  
"Is it just the four of you?"Rukia asked, placing a comforting hand on her brother's arm.  
  
  
  
"No."Retsu immediately responded. "Just among the Captains." There was another moment of hesitation. "Matsumoto-fukutaichou, Abarai-fukutaichou, Kuchiki-san, and Inoue-san all are as well. Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou and Hinamori-fukutaichou aren't yet, nor are any of the female Arrancar."  
  
  
  
A heavy silence fell over the room, everyone having mixed feelings about the announcements. Those who had been confirmed expected were at the same time apprehensive to have children on the way, and relieved that it may at least mean their captors would no longer have any reason to touch them.  
  
  
  
"Hey, aren't you forgetting something?"Lilynette spoke up, looking up at Retsu. The others turned their eyes to the quiet taichou, worried about what more there could possibly be.  
  
  
  
"Yes, there is one other thing..."Retsu murmured. "Kuchiki-san, Hitsugaya-taichou. The two of you... are both carrying twins."  
  
  
  
"Wh-what?"Rukia stammedered out. "But how can that be possible?"  
  
  
  
"Twin souls are very rare."Rangiku added. "Practically unheard of."  
  
  
  
"That's true."Juushirou answered in Retsu's place. "But that's only because so few parents have the reiatsu necessary to shape and nourish two souls."  
  
  
  
"That's right."Retsu nodded. "To be perfectly honest, in these circumstances, I'm slightly surprised that they're the ONLY ones expecting twins."  
  
  
  
"Hey, don't worry, Rukia."Renji said to his childhood friend, seeing the concerned expression on her face. "You'll be fine. You're a tough girl. You've got more than enough reiatsu to keep you and both those little ones plenty healthy."  
  
  
  
"You really think so?"she asked uncertainly.  
  
  
  
"Of course! If you didn't have the reiatsu to support them, you wouldn't have made them to begin with!"  
  
  
  
"Unless it was all Ichimaru's reiatsu that contributed tot hat."  
  
  
  
"Well... maybe... but..."  
  
  
  
"Both parents contribute equally to the child."Byakuya said calmly to his sister. "No matter how strong Ichimaru's reiatsu is, he still would only have sired one child if the mother's reiatsu could not support a second."  
  
  
  
The certainty in her brother's words was far more comforting than Renji's. She definitely appreciated Renji's attempt to comfort her, but his uncertainty hadn't really been helping.  
  
  
  
"Well, this is a surprise."Orhime was saying to Rangiku and Toushirou, trying to keep the mood as bright as she could in the situation. "I never expected the three of us would be starting our families together."  
  
  
  
"I suppose that is one way to look at it."Rangiku said with a small smile of her own. "Maybe it won't be so bad, ne, Taichou?"  
  
  
  
"Maybe..."Toushirou murmured, still trying to process everything. Not only had the bastard traitor impregnated him, but he was carrying two of the bastard's children. But he couldn't dwell on that. Just as he had sworn three weeks ago after Retsu had scolded Soi Fon, these were just as much his children as Aizen's, and he was going to do everything in his power to ensure they did not follow in their father's footsteps.  
  
  
  
XxxXxXx  
  
  
  
"I see."Aizen said with his customary half-smile. "So we now know for certain that male Arrancar are able to impregnate Shinigami and humans."  
  
  
  
"Yes, Aizen-sama."Szayel nodded. "But it's still questionable whether female Arrancar can be impregnated by either. Neither Hallibel or any of her Fraccion are carrying."  
  
  
  
"Even with your little pills, it's harder for a woman to rape a man than the other way around."Tier spoke up from her seat. "It's too much of a hassle for us to be doing it as often as you." She turned sea green eyes up to Aizen. "That's not to say we aren't trying, Aizen-sama. It's just not as simple for us."  
  
  
  
Aizen gave a nod. "Continue as you are for now. If no progress is made, we may simply have to accept that cross breeding is only possible for male Arrancar."  
  
  
  
"There is more that may make up for this, Aizen-sama."Szayel grinned. "It would appear that both Ichimaru and yourself have twins to look forward to."  
  
  
  
Aizen's grin grew wider at the Octava Espada's words.  
  
  
  
"Is that so? This is quite interesting news, wouldn't you agree, Gin?"  
  
  
  
Gin nodded. "Yes, it is quite... unexpected."  
  
  
  
Gin didn't know what else to say. For Aizen to be expecting twins wasn't much of a surprise considering the amount of reiatsu both he and the 10th Division Taichou had. But he hadn't been aware that the Kuchiki girl's reiatsu was strong enough to support two infant souls at once. He wasn't sure how to feel about this information. He'd been apprehensive enough about having one child living under Aizen's control until he was able to make his move against him, but two? This was all going to be much more difficult than he had anticipated....


	4. Akane

**Hybrid Theory**

_Evil Plans for Innocent Souls  
_

Chapter Four: Akane

 

December 10, 2001  
  
  
  
Two months went by before Isane gave Ichigo clearance to leave the Fourth Division. It didn't take long for it to become abundantly clear that this new version of his home life was going to take some getting used to...  
  
  
  
During Ichigo's hospitalization his father had taken position as the taichou of the Third Division. Rather than staying in the Division Barracks like most of the Captains, Isshin had managed to acquire a proper house for his family. It was by no means a mansion, but it was more than enough room for the family. There were enough bedrooms that the twins could have had their own rooms and still left two guest rooms, through the girls had opted to room together, at least for now. When Ichigo had questioned his father on his decision on such a large house, the older man had responded, completely seriously, that he wanted to have room for any grandchildren Ichigo or the girls chose to bless him with. Ichigo had rolled his eyes at the comment, informing his sire that he had at LEAST half a decade to wait before worrying about such things, seeing as he and the girls were sixteen and eleven respectively. But of course the man had twisted his words around and taken it as a promise that he'd have his first grandchild within five years. The man had a bad habit of half-listening to everything his son said...  
  
  
  
Something else Ichigo found himself having to get used to was the presence of his father's fukutaichou, Kira Izuru. At Isshin's insistence, the blond Shinigami came by the Kurosaki household almost every evening after the two men had attended to their duties in the Third Division. He was somewhat withdrawn, but seemed to gradually open up to the family. Before long, it didn't take any convincing from his Taichou for him to spend the evenings with the older male's family. It was just part of his routine. Some nights he would only stay for a few hours before returning to his own room in the Division Barracks. Others he would simply stay the night in one of the three guest rooms, especially on nights Isshin had convinced him to drink and he wound up too trashed to get home safely.  
  
  
  
As the twins had already been attending the academy for two months, the two of them were making decent progress. Neither of them were anywhere near ready for real combat, but both were doing far better than expected in their classes. Karin was doing especially well in Hakuda, while Yuzu was excelling at Kido, particularly healing Kido. Ichigo was proud of the progress his sisters were making, and quickly poured himself into his own studies and training. Until the Seireitei was prepared to launch their own attack, the only thing he could do was work hard and grow stronger. He was going to do everything in his power to ensure when the time came he was strong enough to rescue everyone...  
  
  
  
XxXxXx  
  
January 17, 2002  
  
  
  
Orihime sat concernedly beside Rangiku's bed, Shuno and Ayame creating the familiar barrier of healing, golden light around the strawberry blond-haired woman. Both women were nearly three months pregnant at this point, not yet showing visibly, and this had become a daily ritual since the end of the first month.  
  
  
  
It had been midway through Novemeber when Nemu, Momo, and the four female Arrancar were confirmed to be pregnant like the rest of the prisoners. It was less than a week later that Rangiku had suddenly begun to grow weak and ill. No one had been able to figure out what was wrong until Szayel had taken her to his lab for a thorough examination. The scientist had been fascinated by the results. Apparently, the infant she carried was consuming its mother's reiryoku at an abnormal rate, nearly five times the rate a normal soul-born child would. The pink-haired Espada theorized it was a sign of the sort of power the child would have once born.  
  
  
  
Rangiku's baby was consuming her reiryoku faster than her body could replenish it. If left alone, there would be no way she could survive to carry to term. Luckily, she had Orihime there. Each day, sometimes twice a day, she would lay beneath the golden barrier while Orhihime replenished her lost reiryoku. This kept her healthy enough, but she was still tired most of the time, her reiryoku nowhere near the levels it normally was.  
  
  
  
"How is she?"Toushirou questioned as he walked into the room. Orihime turned silver eyes to the snow-haired Taichou. Despite being no further in his pregnancy than they were, his slighter frame and the fact that he carried twins had resulted in a slight bulge already being visible in his stomach.  
  
  
  
"Same as always."Orihime answered. "The baby's sapping her reiryoku really fast. If this keeps up, I may need to start working on her three or four times a day."  
  
  
  
Toushirou frowned at the report. "I wish there was more we could do for her."  
  
  
  
"So do I..."Orihime sighed as she dismissed her fairies. She reached out to gently lay a hand on Rangiku's. The moment her hand touch hers, she felt a sudden explosion of warmth in her abdomen, causing her to gasp in shock and bring her free hand to her stomach.  
  
  
  
"What's wrong?"Toushirou asked concernedly. Orihime was unable to respond at first. The strange feeling of warmth rose up from her abdomen before moving down her arm, through her fingers and into Rangiku's body. A few moments later, Rangiku's breath seemed to be more even and stable, a more healthy color to her complexion.  
  
  
  
"Orihime?"Toushirou questioned, placing a hand on Orihime's shoulder. His concern had risen at Orihime's failure to respond.  
  
  
  
"I... What just happened...?"Orihime whispered. Toushirou asked what she meant, and she explained to the young Taichou what had happened when she'd touched the Fukutaichou.  
  
  
  
"It came from your abdomen?"Toushirou questioned, to which the girl nodded. "Orihime... do you think it could have been your baby?"  
  
  
  
"The baby? But... but how?"  
  
  
  
"Rangiku's is already showing signs of its power. Maybe yours is too."  
  
  
  
"You think so? So then... my baby's going to be a healer?"  
  
  
  
"It seems so. It makes sense. It's one of the ways your power manifests after all."  
  
  
  
Orihime nodded in agreement. It was definitely a relief to know her child's power wouldn't be destructive. She hoped she could take that as a sign that once born, it wouldn't be a violent child.  
  
  
  
XxXxXx  
  
  
  
Aizen listened calmly to Szayel's account of the development of the unborn children under his study.  
  
  
  
"With these factors in mind, I believe it is safe to assume that both Yammy's and Ulquiorra's offspring possess Espada level abilities. To so clearly be expressed while still in the womb, they must be incredibly powerful."  
  
  
  
"Gluttony and Sacrifice."Aizen spoke with certainty. "A good base to start from. If we can ultimately acquire at least ten Espada level hybrids, we will be undefeatable."  
  
  
  
"And what if we don't?"Grimmjow questioned lazily. "You know that having strong parents isn't an absolute guarantee of strength, just a push in that direction.  
  
  
  
"What's the matter, Grimmjow?"Yammy questioned with a leer. "Worried your kid'll be weak?"  
  
  
  
Grimmjow scoffed. "As if! Don't be cocky just cause we know your kid's an Espada! I can guarantee mine'll be too, and way stronger than yours!"  
  
  
  
"You wanna make a wager on that, kitty?"  
  
  
  
"Bring it!"  
  
  
  
"Would both of you shut up!?"Tier snapped in irritation. Despite being only two months in, the blond woman had become notably more moody since her pregnancy had begun. The other Espada had become rather wary around her, but occasionally slipped.  
  
  
  
"Uh... right... sorry..."Grimmjow muttered, withering slightly under the female's gaze. Grimmjow was by no means a coward, but even he knew Tier Hallibel could be really damn scary.  
  
  
  
XxXxXx  
  
June 16, 2002  
  
  
  
"Geez, this kid is way too active."Renji grumbled, hands resting on his swollen middle as the baby inside wiggled incessantly.  
  
  
  
"Can I feel?"Momo questioned from beside him, one hand on her own less noticeably distended stomach. "Mine doesn't really move around much, he's pretty calm."  
  
  
  
"Well, you're lucky."Renji stated, moving one arm out of the way to let the girl place a hand on his stomach. "This one never settles down. I never get any rest."  
  
  
  
"That's probably a sign it'll be active once it's born."Rukia commented, lounging in a chair to relieve the strain of her own gravid belly. The weight of her twins was beginning to be a bit much for her to handle for extended periods of time. She couldn't wait for them to be born, if only to relieve the strain they put on her back.  
  
  
  
"Great. So even when it's out I won't be getting any sleep,"the redhead rolled his eyes.  
  
  
  
"That's part of being a parent, Renji."Rukia pointed out.  
  
  
  
Renji suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen and winced.  
  
  
  
"Ow! Dammit, that hurt..."  
  
  
  
"Are you alright, Renji?"Retsu questioned, stepping over to the redhead.  
  
  
  
"I think so. I just had this pain in my stomach for a sec-ow!"  
  
  
  
"How long have you been having these pains? And how far apart are they?"  
  
  
  
"I'm not sure how long... but they come every few minutes."  
  
  
  
"Renji... I think you may be in labor."  
  
  
  
"What?! No way, it's too soon! You said yourself I'm not supposed to be due till mid-July!"  
  
  
  
"That's true, but babies don't always adhere to schedules. Do you think you can make it back to your room with me?"  
  
  
  
"Y-Yeah, I think so..."Renji said, standing with some help from Momo. Retsu turned to look at Lilynette, the blond Arrancar looking equal parts fascinated and worried.  
  
  
  
"Lilynette, do you think you could find Jaegerjaquez-san for me and let him know what's going on?"  
  
  
  
"Um... sure."Lilynette gave a nod before darting out of the room to do as instructed.  
  
  
  
"Hanatarou, I'll need your help."Retsu said softly. Hanatarou nodded, immediately following alongside his Taichou and supporting Renji as he walked.  
  
  
  
"I'll come too!"Rukia said, beginning to stand, but wincing as the weight in her middle once again pulled at her back.  
  
  
  
"I appreciate it, Rukia, but I don't think you need the extra strain right now."Renji gave his childhood friend a smile over his shoulder as Byakuya helped her ease back into her seat. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."  
  
  
  
Rukia frowned slightly, but gave a nod of understanding. She'd be lying if she were to say she wasn't concerned. It was a good month too early for Renji to be giving birth. She certainly hoped that both her friend and the baby were going to be okay.  
  
  
  
Renji waddled down the halls to the room he'd been sharing with Grimmjow with Retsu and Hanatarou's help. The redhead quickly moved to the bed, wincing as he carefully lay on his back.  
  
  
  
"Damn, I knew this was going to be painful, but still..."Renji groaned.  
  
  
  
"Just relax, Renji."Retsu urged as Hanatarou scrambled to retrieve what was necessary to help. "We just need to get everything ready, and then we can get your little one out."  
  
  
  
Renji nodded, swallowing hard. He remembered what he had learned years earlier about souls birthed from a male parent. While male spiritual beings were able to conceive, they were not equipped to give birth. As such, when labor began, the only way to get the baby out was a Cesarean-section. It was important to do so as quickly as possible, as even though there was no birth canal for the child to evacuate through, the contractions would naturally push the infant as if there were. This could easily result in significant harm both to the baby and their carrying parent, even death.  
  
  
  
"I found him!"Lilynette exclaimed, rushing into the room with Grimmjow only a step behind. The blue-haired Espada seemed a little flustered, unsure of what he should do in this situation he had never found himself in before.  
  
  
  
"Is there something I should be doing, or...?"Grimmjow questioned uncertainly.  
  
  
  
"Just stay calm and out of the way."Retsu instructed, pulling open Renji's white yukata to reveal his abdomen. "Hanatarou, I'm trusting you to make sure his reiryoku stays stable while I handle the rest."  
  
  
  
Hanatarou gave a small nod, letting small hands hover over the red-haired Fukutaichou. His reiryoku lit up his hands, carefully maintaining the other male's as Retsu picked up the scalpel he had laid out for her. The calm woman brought the blade close, carefully cutting into the taught skin. Lilynette gave a sympathetic wince from where she stood out of the way of the procedure, observing with equal parts curiosity and squeamishness.  
  
  
  
Renji winced in pain as the incision was made. It wasn't by any means the worst pain he'd experienced, and he was able to endure it rather easily. He tried not to focus on what was being done to his body, and after several minutes of near silence, he heard Retsu speak up.  
  
  
  
"It's a girl."  
  
  
  
That wasn't the first thing he had expected to hear.  
  
  
  
"Wh-why isn't she crying?!"he asked, panicking. Weren't newborns supposed to cry? Wasn't that how you were supposed to know they were alive? "Is something wrong with her?! Is she okay?!"  
  
  
  
Retsu smiled softly, wrapping the tiny bundle in the blanket Hanatarou had retrieved earlier as her subordinate focused his reiryoku to heal the redhead.  
  
  
  
"Don't worry. She's fine."the dark-haired woman stated. "Babies usually do cry when they're first born, but there are some cases who don't. If anything, she looks more annoyed."  
  
  
  
Renji carefully took his daughter from the taichou, and quickly noted that the woman's words were true. Pale blue eyes gazed back up at him from a tiny face scrunched in an expression that seemed to be demanding to know why she had been taken from her comfy home and who the hell these huge people staring at her were.  
  
  
  
"I have the sinking feeling she's going to inherit her father's attitude..."Renji grumbled. Grimmjow let out a laugh at the redhead's words, stepping over to the bed and leaning over to get a look at his daughter. She had the same piercing blue eyes he himself did, and her head was topped with wispy red hair to match her 'mother's'. There was no Hollow hole to be found on her body, and her mask fragments, two smooth patches of bone near the top of her skull above her ears, would likely become hidden by her hair when she was older and the hair was longer.  
  
  
  
"So, what are you gonna name her?"Lilynette questioned, looking in wonder at the infant.  
  
  
  
"Akane."Renji answered without hesitation, fingers lightly caressing his daughter's brilliant red hair. "Her name is Akane."  
  
  
  
"Akane, huh...?"Grimmjow said, testing the name out. "Abarai Akane Jeagerjaquez... Yeah, it's got a nice ring to it."  
  
  
  
Renji was both surprised and pleased that he wouldn't have to fight Grimmjow over naming the child-their child, he was hesitant to think-, especially the inclusion of his own family name in hers. Despite the details of the situation he found himself and his daughter in, the little baby in his arms had already become the focus of his world, his most important little treasure. He knew full well what Aizen had planned for his daughter, but he would be damned if he'd let the man use her as a weapon. He would protect her from that man's control, even if it were to cost him his life.  
  
  
  
XxXxXx  
  
June 17, 2002  
  
  
  
"Aw, she's so cute!"Momo gushed, smiling brightly at the red-haired little baby held in her friend's arms. The one-day-old little girl was silently observing her surroundings and the people around her. She was calmed by the fact that she could sense her 'mother' was comfortable around these people.  
  
  
  
"She sure is."Rukia smiled, seated beside Renji. "I have to admit, I was really worried when you went into labor early, Renji. But she looks perfectly healthy."  
  
  
  
"Yeah, Unohana gave her a clean bill of health."Renji nodded, gently cradling his daughter against his chest. "She said she's a little small, but she'll grow."  
  
  
  
"If her parents are any indication, I'm sure she'll grow plenty."  
  
  
  
Renji just couldn't resist the opportunity to tease his long-time friend, and grinned at the petite woman.  
  
  
  
"And if you're any indication, those kids of yours will be total shrimps."  
  
  
  
"If you weren't holding that baby, you'd be on the ground right now, Abarai."Rukia said lowly, but had an amused little smile on her face. The teasing back-and-forths between the two old friends was one of the few things that had kept them sane over the last several months. She knew that was likely to lessen now that Renji had Akane to look after, and she would have her own two little ones within a month or so, but was glad to see that the redhead could still throw out a few quips every now and then.  
  
  
  
Before Renji could get another response in, Grimmjow appeared in the doorway, not looking pleased.  
  
  
  
"Aizen wants to see her..."he murmured, looking directly at Renji. Renji frowned, holding his daughter closer to his body at the statement.  
  
  
  
"Don't worry, he's not gonna take her."Grimmjow said. "Said something about them needing 'a nurturing environment with their parents' or something like that. I dunno. I only half-listen to what the guy has to say..."  
  
  
  
Renji supposed he could take some relief from that, but he still didn't want Aizen to be anywhere near his child. At the same time, however, he knew he didn't really have much choice. He was Aizen's prisoner, so if the bastard wanted to see Akane, one way or another he would get what he wanted. With a resigned sigh, Renji stood and walked over to where Grimmjow was standing. The Espada stepped aside to let the Shinigami step through the door, and they walked silently down the halls to Aizen's throne room.  
  
  
  
Renji didn't want to appear submissive to the traitor, but he also didn't want to appear hostile and give the man an excuse to take Akane from him. For that reason, he kept his eyes lowered as they entered the room.  
  
  
  
"Ah, our first little hybrid."Aizen stated, his tone somehow managing to sound like he was address both aspects of what Akane was: both a baby and an experiment. The tiny girl could sense the unease from both her parents, both their dislike toward this man, and so narrowed pale blue eyes at him. Aizen noticed the hybrid child's reaction to him, and chuckled amusedly.  
  
  
  
"And what name have you chosen for her, Grimmjow?"  
  
  
  
"Akane. Abarai Akane Jeagerjaquez."  
  
  
  
"Akane... rather fitting."the brunette chuckled.  
  
  
  
Renji stiffened as the man moved closer, brown eyes studying the little girl who continued to give him the closest thing a baby could come to a glare.  
  
  
  
"An impressive reiatsu for an infant."he commented. "She will definitely be a strong one. Well done, Grimmjow."  
  
  
  
Grimmjow didn't respond to the praise, not liking the way the man was treating his daughter like an object. He'd be the first to admit that he'd gone into this whole thing without truly considering the fact that it would result in another living creature, but now that Akane was actually here, he wanted nothing more than to keep her as far away from Aizen as possible. Maybe he was going soft, but at that moment, he didn't give a damn. His daughter's safety was more important than his pride.  
  
  
  
"She won't be any good for your plans until she grows."Grimmjow said lowly, hoping stating that fact would deter Aizen's attention from her for at least a little while.  
  
  
  
"True."Aizen nodded. "And in the meantime, I trust you'll see to that growth?"  
  
  
  
"Yes, Aizen-sama..."Grimmjow answered dryly, the honorific practically burning in his mouth as it left him.  
  
  
  
"Good. I look forward to her progress."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the first of the little ones is welcomed into the world! Akane's name is written with Kanji for 'madder' or 'brilliant red'. While it can't be properly portrayed during her infant years, she is stubborn and hot-headed, just like her parents. The fact that even as a newborn she is not a crier is also a key part of her personality.


	5. Heart of Snow

**Hybrid Theory**

_Evil Plans for Innocent Souls  
_

Chapter Five: Heart of Snow

 

July 8, 2002  
  
Akane's early birth had come as a surprise, but in the weeks since it became clear that she was a very healthy child. Her reiatsu was very strong for a newborn, and would only grow stronger as she grew older. Grimmjow realized that there was a very real possibility that by the time his daughter was full grown, she would be more powerful than he was, which made him feel both proud and afraid. Afraid of what Aizen would do with her...  
  
Grimmjow had also been quick to pick up a sense of stubbornness from the red-haired infant. Just as she hadn't cried at her birth, she never cried when she needed something either. She would just look at the nearest parent with blue eyes narrowed in an expression that said "I'm hungry, now do something about it." Grimmjow personally found it amusing, while Renji wasn't so sure. The redhead was thankful that she didn't wail at everything like most newborns, but at the same time was worried it may be indicative of a bad attitude when she was older. But he supposed he would just have to cross that bridge when he came to it. Maybe when the other children were born, she would begin to exhibit more social behaviors.  
  
Orihime had continued to heal Rangiku regularly, but ever since learning that touching her directly had allowed some help from the reishi of her unborn child, it hadn't been needed as often. Some testing had shown that the child's reiatsu was definitely weaker after each healing, but it recovered at a steady pace, so there wasn't any alarm at using the child's power to heal Rangiku.  
  
"Thanks a lot, Orihime."Rangiku said with a smile, feeling the familiar pulse of her reishi being restored by the younger woman's touch. "I don't know what I'd do without you."  
  
"It's not me you should be thanking."Orihime chuckled softly, her free hand on her stomach. "Although... I am a little concerned. I know Szayel said that her reishi goes back to normal after a little while, but I'm still worried what sort of effect this could have on her once she's born..."  
  
"'She'?"Rangiku questioned. "You know it's going to be a girl?"  
  
"It's just a feeling I have."Orihime said, trying to decide how to explain to her friend. "I don't really know how to describe it. It just... FEELS like a girl, you know?"  
  
"Hm, I don't really get it."Rangiku said. "I don't have any feeling like that at all."  
  
"Maybe it's just me."Orihime murmured. She stood with the intention of getting a little exercise, as much as she could in her condition, but gave a gasp when a sharp pain suddenly lanced through her abdomen.  
  
"Orihime-chan?!"Rangiku exclaimed in concern, moving to the girl's side. She quickly noticed that the skirt of Orihime's white gown was wet. "Wait, is it...?"  
  
"Yeah. I think the baby's coming..."Orihime said through pained breaths. Rangiku resisted the instinct to panic, carefully leading Orihime from her room to her own. She instructed the younger woman to just lay still and breathe while she went to retrieve Retsu. It was only a few minutes later that she returned with Retsu and Hanatarou in tow. Retsu informed the young woman that Starrk had gone to find Ulquiorra. Orihime didn't think that mattered all that much. True the Cuatra Espada was the child's father, but she doubted the emotionless man would care too much.  
  
Unlike when Renji had given birth to Akane, Retsu wanted to avoid performing a Cesarean unless absolutely necessary, not just with Orihime, but with all the female parents. Orihime understood her reasoning, a natural birth was ultimately less risky, but that didn't mean she liked it. She'd heard from several sources how painful childbirth was meant to be, but nothing could have prepared her for the pain she was in now.  
  
It was an excruciating four hours before Orihime heard the relieving sound of an infant's cries. She let out a relieved breath, leaning tiredly into the pillows she was propped against.  
  
"Congratulations. It's a girl."Retsu stated, handing the calming child to her mother. Orihime gently cradled the child to her, gazing down at the tiny being that she had been carrying inside her all these months. She clearly took after her both parents, thin strands of black hair atop her head and big, winter green eyes looking out from a pale face with a structure nearly identical to Orihime's. She wasn't the same pure white pale as her father, but was definitely as pale as a person could be without it looking completely unnatural. She would be indistinguishable from a human when fully clothed, but naked as she was now her inhuman traits were obvious. What could be considered her mask fragments were not on her head, but rather on her back and neck, running down in a way that resembled an exposed spine reaching from the base of her skull to where her rib cage ended. Unlike Akane, she did have a Hollow hole, right in the center of her chest, but it was oddly not perfectly round. It was distinctly heart-shaped.  
  
"It's definitely strange."Retsu commented, noticing where Orihime was staring on the child's body. "I've never seen a Hollow hole like that before. I'm not sure what it means."  
  
Ulquiorra, who had arrived about twenty minutes into Orihime's labor and had been silently observing from the corner since, chose then to approach the bed. Stoic eyes gazed down at the tiny little girl held in her mother's arms, observing her. As if sensing her father's presence, the baby returned his gaze, holding it for a few moments before giving him a smile. Orihime looked up at the Espada in time to see... something spark in his eyes. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but it was the first time she'd seen a trace of any sort of emotion from him. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he reached out his arms, clearly asking silently to hold his daughter. Orihime hesitated, but only for a moment before handing her daughter over to her father. She watched as he held the baby with suprising tenderness, looking at her with... amazement? Adoration? Confusion? It was hard to tell when his eyes were the only sign of what he was feeling, the rest of his face still as stoic as always.  
  
"Orihime-chan, have you picked a name?"Rangiku asked. Orihime nodded, closing silver eyes tiredly.  
  
"Yeah. She's so pale... just like the snow. So I'd like to name her Miyuki."  
  
"I like it."Rangiku smiled, approaching Ulquiorra and smiling down at the little girl. "Hello, Miyuki-chan. You're so adorable. Auntie Ran-chan could just eat you up!"  
  
xXxXxXx  
  
The next two months were anything but uneventful. After Akane's early birth, Miyuki had been the first to arrive according to schedule, and the rest were prompt to follow. Just shy of a week after Orihime, Rukia went into labor. Hers was more difficult than Orihime's had been, both due to her slighter frame and the fact that she was carrying twins. The entire birthing took nearly a full day, but when she was finished she held two perfectly identical little boys. They had clearly inherited Gin's silver hair and sky blue eyes, but their facial features had definitely come from Rukia. Gin had been the one to choose their names, but Rukia later confided to the others that she didn't think the names were half bad at all, not that she would ever say so to Gin himself. The first born of the boys had been named Kouichi, while his little brother had been named Kouji.  
  
Four days later it was Soi Fon's turn. Her delivery had been surprisingly quick, only just barely over an hour. For all her early objections in referring to the children as parasites and monsters, the woman had melted almost instantly when her son had been placed in her arms. He had inherited both of his parents' dark hair, and his mother's silvery-grey eyes. His face was long like Nnoitra's, but his features were oterwise from Soi Fon. While there were no signs of mask fragments on him, he did have a Hollow hole, which ran right through the center of his left palm. Soi Fon expressed her concern that the placement of the hole may hinder him later in life, but was relieved that he didn't possess any other obvious Hollow traits. She had decided long before the birth exactly what she was going to name her child: Yoruichi if female, Yoru if male.  
  
Only two days after Yoru had been born, Retsu went into labor. Obviously she could not see over her own labor, so Hanatarou had to attend to it himself. He'd been assisting his Taichou will all of the births so far, so he wasn't going in completely blind, but he was still nervous that he would do something wrong and harm either her or her child. Orihime had recovered from Miyuki's birth by that time, and so had volunteered to help. She couldn't use her Soten Kisshun during the birth, or rather chose not to risk it due to the possible complications with the exact mechanics of her power, but she had gathered enough from watching the other two births after hers that she was able to assist him well enough, keeping him calm and reminding him of what needed to be done at a given point in the process. He seemed almost more relieved than the new mother when the whole ordeal was over. Like Akane, the little boy didn't cry upon enterring the world, but rather than annoyed like the elder child, he looked more calm about the whole ordeal, as if he'd been prepared for and accepted that it was time to leave the safety of his mother's womb and come out into the bigger world beyond. Lilynette had commented that it was a sure sign that he had inherited either his father's laziness, or his mother's quiet calm regardless of the situation. She hoped it was the latter. Whichever the case was, he'd gotten his looks from both his parents, sporting his mother's black hair and his father's pale blue eyes. His features were largely Starrk's, but his face had an overall rounder shape to it like Retsu's. He was the first hybrid to show no physical signs whatsoever of his Hollow parentage, having no mask fragment and no Hollow hole anywhere on his body. Starrk and Retsu had actually talked together about what to name him, rather than leaving it up to one parent as had been the case with the others so far, and had eventually settled on Kenshin.  
  
The next birth was the day after Retsu's, and she hadn't yet recovered enough to leave her room and attend to it, leaving the task again to Hantarou and Orihime. Of course, Orihime would have attended this one regardless, as it was Rangiku who was giving birth this time. With the trouble her friend had been having all through her pregnancy, she didn't want to take any risks. Thankfully, the actual birthing went without any complications. Within three hours, Rangiku was holding a little boy who had clearly gotten his looks from his mother. Not a single feature could be picked out from Yammy. His features, eyes, and hair, were all clearly inherited from the woman who had carried him all these months. Like Yoru, he had no mask fragments, but he did have a Hollow hole, lying in the center of his abdomen much like Grimmjow. Lilynette had again had a comment here, joking that maybe Grimmjow was the father rather than Yammy, but Starrk had told her not to be an idiot and reminded her that a hole's placement varied by individual, having nothing to do with where a parents' hole was. The fact that Miyuki's hole was in a position close to her father's had been pure coincidence. Rangiku had shrugged off the entire conversation, proclaiming to the others that she would name her son Mitsuru.  
  
Another four days passed, and when Byakuya went into labor Retsu had recovered enough to return to seeing to the births. Orihime had decided to continue aiding in the remaining births, and Retsu was grateful to her for doing so. Like Renji, Byakuya was clearly not equipped for a natural birth, so when it was clear that the child was ready to be born, it was mere minutes before the process was complete. Byakuya had confessed to his sister that he had hoped for a son, but his disappointment was minute when the Fourth Division Taichou informed him that he had a daughter. In the noble's eyes, the little girl was absolutely perfect. Her hair and eyes were both pitch black, forming a contrast both with her pale skin and her mask fragment, a band of bone around her neck just below her jawbone that at first glance would resemble a choker necklace had such a thing not been just as abnormal on an infant as the reality. Her facial features had all clearly come from Byakuya, even if the coloring of her eyes had come from Barragan. Her Hollow hole was situated low on her body, directly between her pelvic bones. Byakuya was glad that the hole was in a place that would likely never see the light of day. He'd cast a deathly glare at Renji when the redhead had commented that depending on how she turned out as an adult, she may very well wear clothing that could reveal it. The look had shut his fukutaichou up quickly. The girl's father had not attended her birth, and Byakuya had been quick to pick out a name for her before the old man could appear and choose for him, christening her Reika.  
  
Five days passed before the next birth occurred. Toushirou had been equal parts eager and apprehensive, both wanting to see his children, and dreading to see how they may resemble Aizen. He was not at all surprised when the first child, a boy, was identical to the psychopath that had sired him. But true to his word, he was not going to shun his child for Aizen's involvement in his birth. Unlike Rukia's twins, Toushirou's were not identical. The younger twin was a little girl, who took after her 'mother' just as much as her brother did their father, clearing sporting snowy white hair and turquoise eyes. Unsurprisingly, Aizen had been alerted right away when the young Taichou had gone into labor, and had arrived in time to witness both children's arrival. Not giving Toushirou any time to object, the Lord of Los Noches had promptly chosen the names of the two children himself, naming the elder brother Suigetsu and the younger sister Kyoka. No one was sure whether his clearly naming the children after his zanpakuto was merely a sign of his vanity, or of something more.  
  
A few days after the twins' birth, Tier was the first Arrancar to go into labor. During her entire pregnancy, she had seemed to consider it nothing but a hassle. As reluctant as the prisoners had all been in this entire ordeal, it hadn't taken long for them to connect to the children they'd been carrying, the fact that these were their children far more important than the details of how they had been concieved. The Tres Espada, however, had not had the same sentiments. When Retsu tried to hand her the child after the birthing was complete, she had simply turned away, wanting to get her sleep and recover her strength as quickly as possible. Retsu gave a small sigh, but it wasn't as if she could force the woman to take the child. So instead she gently handed her off to her father, who was much more willing to take her into his arms. The little girl's skin was a light caramel color, dead center in color between Jyushirou's and Tier's. She had her father's face shape and most of his features, but her eyes were identical to her mother's, both in shape and color. Her hair, surprisingly, was two-toned in coloring. From the tops of her ears upward to the top of her head, it was the same black Jyushirou's had been before it had gone stark white due to his illness. Below that, it was the same golden blond as her mother's. On inspection, no Hollow hole could be found in her body, but she did have some mask fragments. On both sides of her neck were three small, thin lines of bone arranged in a way that resembled gills. That was all the clue Jyushirou needed that, like her mother, her fully Hollowfied form would resemble some sort of aquatic creature. He decided it would then only be fitting to give her a name associated with the element. He'd hesitantly questioned Tier for her opinion on it, but the blond woman had simply stated that she didn't care. Jyushirou had given a soft sigh before looking sadly at his daughter, deciding on his own to call her Ren.  
  
Almost another week had passed before it was Franceska's turn. Tier's fraccion were not of the same mind about the children they carried as their mistress was. None of them had been too keen on the idea of motherhood when this all had begun (Franceska least of all), but the three women had warmed up to the idea in the months as their children grew inside them, coming to actually look forward to it by the time the children were to be born. To say Franceska had enjoyed giving birth would have been an outright lie, but she certainly seemed to be pleased with the little boy she held in her arms after the fact. She could easily pick out the features she had passed on to him: green eyes, dark skin (darker than his father's), thin lips, and a narrow chin. With the excpetion of these, he was essentially identical to Chad. He had no mask fragments or Hollow hole, and in fact Retsu stated that she sensed a relatively small amount of Hollow reishi in his aura. He would definitely be stronger than an average human, but she doubted he would grow as strong spiritually as the other hybrids born so far. When asked what she had wanted to name him, Franceska had been quick to answer with Angel, giving the Spanish pronunciation rather than English. This had somewhat surprised the others, and they found themselves wondering if perhaps Chad had been the one to pick the name and Franceska had just been the one to voice it. After all, he had Hispanic as well as Japanese blood, and had even lived with his grandfather in Mexico until his death, so he was just as likely to choose a Spanish name as the Arrancar were, and more likely to pick a name so... pure and innocent.  
  
Two days after Franceska gave birth, Emilou and Cyan both went into labor the same day. Both girls had rather narrow hips, and so had some difficulty that the others had not experiened. Hanatarou was nervous during the entire process of Emilou's labor, worried that something horrible would befall his child. But after eight hours, he stood beside the exhausted Fraccion holding a little girl who was practically a female clone of him. She had, however, inherited her mother's condition of heterochromia. Her right eye was the same pale blue as Emilou's, while the left was the much darker blue as both of Hanatarou's. Without waiting for any input from Hanatarou, Emilou declared that she wanted to name the girl Marisol. Being too meek to object to the strong-willed Arrancar, in addition to having no major objections to the name, Hanatarou didn't say anything against the decision.  
  
Cyan's labor was not as short lived as Emilou's, not by a long shot. It was sixteen hours, fully into the early hours of the following day, when Retsu conceded that a natural birth was not going to happen in this case. Cyan had started to object to allowing the Shinigami to cut her open, but the passing of another painful contraction changed her mind quickly. The snake-woman breathed a sigh of relief to see that, despite the difficulties of labor, her daughter was completely healthy. She had Uryuu's black hair, as well as his face shape and nose. The shape of her eyes were the same as her mother's, but the color was a purplish shade of blue, as if her parents' eye colors had mixed to make her own. She bore no signs of her Hollow heritage on her body, and when Cyan focused on her reiryoku, she couldn't feel any traces of Hollow energy in her aura. Uryuu, however, could clearly sense the latent powers of a Quincy in her young, still fairly weak aura. Having expected the child to have more Arrancar power, Uryuu hadn't thought much about her name in the time leading up to her birth, figuring Cyan would come up with something good enough. But the moment he sensed the power of a Quincy in her, that had changed. She needed a name that clearly displayed the power she held: Mayumi.  
  
A little over a week passed between Mayumi's birth and the next. If Nemu had thought concieving the child had been painful, she was not prepared for actually birthing it. Still, her pain threshhold kept her from visibly outwardly expressing the agony, even though she doubted anyone would think any less of her if she screamed. All of the other mothers had screamed after all, some even threatening things such as the murder of the fathers, but she wasn't going to do that. Once the child was finally born, Szayel was quick to scoop her up, and Nemu desperately wanted to take her away. The man wasn't cruel enough to not let her get a look at the newborn girl, though. The child's facial features came largely from her, but the shape of her eyes was more remiscent of Szayel. Szayel's pink hair had passed to the little girl, and at first glance it seemed that Nemu's green eyes had gone to her. But in just the right light, a sheen of gold could be seen over the green, almost like the shine of an insect's eyes. A Hollow hole was very prominently displayed at the base of her throat, and when Szayel turned her to expose her back, four vertical strips of bone could easily be seen on her upper back, two on either side of her spine. Szayel seemed to have an idea what form those fragments of mask would take in a fully released form, and was quick to choose the name Aleta.  
  
Three days later, the final child was born, which revealed something that none of the Shinigami had expected. Momo's son very prominently resembled his father. Dark skin, purplish-black hair, even most of his features. The one exception were Momo's eyes, both in shape and color. When Retsu first looked at the child, her eyes widened in surprise. On his back was what could only be a form of Hollow mask fragments, a sort of bone plating that vaguely resembled a beetle's shell. Retsu questioned how that could be possible, but Gin explained the situation to her and the others gathered for the birth. Tosen had become Hollowfied during the time in which they had been in Hueco Mundo, effectively making him... well, whether he should technically be considered a Vaizard or Arrancar was debatable. His origin was closer to a Vaizard, but the form he took was closer to an Arrancar. Either way, a trace of the power had clearly passed to his son. Before leaving the room, Gin passed on to Momo a message from the man in question: since the child was a boy, he had chosen the name Norio.  
  
xXxXxXx  
September 1, 2002  
  
Orihime let out a small sigh, holding her daughter in her arms as the dark-haired girl slept. In the past week, Aizen had been closely monitoring the children, as if looking for something. That wasn't to say he hadn't been doing so since each one's birth, but it had become all the worse since the last of them, Norio, had finally been born. She'd taken notice that he had shown little interest in Kenshin and Mayumi, the two who from birth had shown little sign of any Hollow reiryoku, and she wondered why that was. She knew that the whole purpose for this had been for him to form a hybrid army, but did it really make much of a difference how heavily their aura tipped toward Arrancar as opposed to Shinigami or human? She would have thought that as long as they were strong, it shouldn't really matter that Kenshin's power was more Shinigami and Mayumi's was more Quincy. Unless there was some detail he had neglected to give to the prisoner parents...  
  
"She's asleep?"came the familiar voice as the bedroom door opened and closed. Orihime glanced up to look at Ulquiorra, giving a small nod at his question. That was something else she had thought somewhat strange. The normally cold man had seemed to be growing surprisingly attached to Miyuki. She normally wouldn't be surprised, the pale little girl was his daughter after all. But this was Ulquiorra they were talking about. The man who questioned the existance of a heart simply because it was not something that could tangibly be seen.  
  
"I'm honestly surprised you're so... attached to her."Orihime said as the Cuatra Espada gently took the child from her mother's arms into his. "It just... doesn't seem like you."  
  
"I don't understand it myself."Ulquiorra confessed, green eyes settled on his daughter as he spoke. "But as soon as I laid eyes on her... I don't know how to describe it. Everything just... shifted. I want her to always be happy, to never be hurt..."  
  
"You care about her."Orihime translated, eyes widening just the tiniest bit.  
  
"Is that what it is?"Ulquiorra asked uncertainly, pale fingers gently caressing Miyuki's dark hair. "I've never felt it before, so I wouldn't know..."  
  
Orihime looked sadly at the pale Arrancar, standing to lay a hand gently on his arm.  
  
"I can't begin to understand what it's like to live your life without emotions."she murmured softly. "But it seems that, somehow, Miyuki is healing your heart."  
  
"My heart...?"Ulquiorra questioned, green eyes turning to his child's mother. "Can I truly possess such a thing."  
  
"Maybe so. Only time will tell."Orihime said, her attention drawn once more to Miyuki as the child began to wake from her sleep.  
  
"Heart..."Ulquiorra said again as he looked down to the child, who looked back up at him with wide green eyes. "Is it true that humans sometimes have... special names for their children that only they use?"  
  
Orihime nodded. "They're called pet names. Pumpkin, Princess, Little One... things like that."  
  
"Heart."Ulquiorra said firmly, holding his daughter close. "Miyuki is my heart."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akane ("Brilliant Red")-6/16/2002  
> Miyuki ("Deep Snow")-7/8/2002  
> Kouichi ("Shining First") and Kouji ("Shining Second")-7/14/2002  
> Yoru ("Night")-7/18/2002  
> Kenshin (Ken="Healthy", Shin= "Humble")-7/20/2002  
> Mitsuru ("Full" or "Growing")-7/21/2002  
> Reika ("Spirit Flower")-7/25/2002  
> Suigetsu ("Water Moon") and Kyoka ("Mirror Flower")-7/30/2002  
> Ren ("Water Lily")-8/3/2002  
> Angel (the 'g' pronounced as in guitar. This is the Spanish variant/pronunciation.)-8/9/2002  
> Marisol ("Rebellious Sun")-8/11/2002  
> Mayumi ("True Bow")-8/12/2002  
> Aleta ("Winged")-8/20/2002  
> Norio ("Man of Law")-8/23/2002
> 
> So, it should be made clear by conversations so far that Aizen intends to make a second set of Espada of the hybrids being born. The intenton for the new set is thirteen (signifigant in two respects: 13 itself being viewed as unlucky in Western cultures, and the digital root of 13 being 4, associated with death in Asian cultures). At the end of each chapter I'll start including a list of the 13 aspects of the new Espada (in alphabetical order by aspect, rather than order of intended strength), as well as which child is associated with that aspect. However, only children who have been CONFIRMED to be of an aspect in the story will be included in the list. If a child is born, but has not yet been stated to be associated with an aspect, they will not be added until their aspect is confirmed.
> 
> Chance-  
> Envy-  
> Fate-  
> Fear-  
> Gluttony- Matsumoto Mitsuru Llargo  
> Greed-  
> Lust-  
> Pride-  
> Rapture-  
> Sacrifice- Inoue Miyuki Cifer  
> Silence-  
> Sloth-  
> Vengeance


End file.
